FlCOtT} 


T»  If)elctoet)cief)ce 


University  of  California  •  Berkeley 


^ifmt'(>t^>>f>t/.=,.Zi^a^i 


WnbicrAty  of  California  •  Berkeley 


Digitized  by  tine  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

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http://www.archive.org/details/frompalmyranewyoOOetzerich 


FROM 


PALMYRA,  NEW    YORK,    181, 


TO 


Independence,  Missouri,  1894. 

PART    1. 

The   Book   Unsealed,    Revised   and   Enlarged, 


PART    II. 


Eleven   Works  Against  Mormonism,  Six  United 
States  School  Histories,  Four  Leading  En- 
cyclopedias    and     Reissues    Compared 
with    Each    Other   and  Reviewed 
irL  the   Light    of  Facts   on 
the    Subject    Treated. 


PART    III. 


A  (Jonipendium  of  Evidences  of  Material  Value 
Mainly  from  Outside  Parties  and  Em- 
bracing Three   Court  Decisions. 


By  ELDER  R.  KTZEXHOUSER, 

OF  THE 

Reorganized  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter 
Day   Saints. 


Ikdependekce,   Mo, 

ENSIGN     PUBLISHING    HOUSE. 

1894-. 


Copyrighted     1894 

R.   ETZENHOUSER. 


;/iUY        f: 


1 


PREFACE. 

The  author  of  this  work  makes  no  claim  to  scholar- 
ship in  the  presentation  of  its  pages,  and  prefers  that 
it  shall  be  judged  by  the  measure  of  truth  it  contains, 
rather  than  by  its  quality  as  a  literary  production. 

The   "Book  Unsealed"  iu  a  revised  and  enlarged 

form   constitutes   Part   I   of  this  work.       Extreme  care 

has  been  used  in  the  preparation  of  its  matter.      A.  very 

few  quotations  taken  from  accepted  reliable  sources  and 

which  ha\ie  not  been  compared  with  originals,  appear 

designated  as  such  by  a  dagger  (f ).     These  quotations 

could  have  been  dispensed  with,  as  on  all  points  upon 

which  they  bear  a  sufficient  quantity  would  still  remain. 

Different  editions  of  a  number  of  authors  are  quoted 

from,  as  for  instance,  Priest's  of  1833  and  1838.     As  the 

quotations  not  compared  with  originals  are  designated 

as  before  mentioned,  the  different  editions  of  works  cited 

» 
are  not  given  accompanying  quotations. 

Libraries  at  St.  Louis,  Kansas  City,  St.  Joseph,  Den- 
ver, Salt  Lake  City,  Des  Moines,  Chicago,  Cincinnati, 
Philadelphia,  Brooklyn  and  New  Brunswick  have  been 
searched,  and  for  aid  in  this,  the  author  is  indebted  to 
Llders  F.  G.  Pitt,  A.  H.  Parsons  and  J.  B.  Roush,  also 
10  Miss  Etta  M.  Izatt. 

Part  II  is  the  only  production  of  the  kind,  and  some- 
thing of  the  kind  has  long  been  recognized  as  needed.  It 
embraces  the  review  and  exposure  of  eleven  works  vvrit- 
ten  against  "Mormonism,"  with  other  matter  of  the  kind. 


PREFACE. 

Also,  a  review  of  six  United  States  School  Histories  as 
a  sample  in  general  upon  the  subject  from  that  source. 
Four  of  the  leading  encyclopedias  and  their  later  editions 
are  examined  and  reviewed.  Statements  of  encyclope- 
dias and  the  press  relative  to  the  Reorganized  Church  of 
Latter  Day  Saints,  are  given. 

Part  III  presents  Joseph  Smith  as  the  founder  of  the 
Latter  Day  Work,  his  character,  etc.,  by  those  not  mem- 
bers but  directly  acquainted  with  him. 

Evidences  of  the  same  class  relative  to  the  early 
scenes  in  New  York,  Ohio,  Missouri  and  Illinois,  the 
character  of  the  Saints,  etc.  Three  prominent  court 
decisions,  that  of  Kirtland  Temple,  Ohio,  1880;  the 
Canada  Court  on  the  rights  of  the  Reor^^anized  Church 
of  Latter  Day  Saints,  1893,  and  the  Temple  Lot  case  of 
1894. 

The  title,  "From  Palmyra,  New  York,  to  Independ- 
ence, Missouri,"  is  not  indicative  of  continuous  narative 
but  embracing  material  facts  during  that  lapse  of  years. 

In  Part  II  appears  two  articles  from  the  pen  of  Elder 
Heraan  C.  Smith  and  one  rom  Elder  C.  Scott,  taken 
from  the  Saints'  Herald.  Matter  furnished  by  Elder 
I.  M.  Smith,  as  also  \^aluable  suggestions  are  ac- 
knowledged with  pleasure;  also,  matter  from  brethren 
A.  H.  Parsons  and  Albert  Carmichael. 

A  glance  through  the  manuscript  with  the  author 
led  Elders  Joseph  Luff,  L  N.  White,  F.  M.  Sheehy  and 
I.  M.  Smith  to  say,  "The  work  will  be  a  useful  one." 
With  this  end  in  view  the  work  is  now  submitted  to  its 
readers.  '  R.  E. 

Independence,  Mo.,  May  12,  1S94. 


THE 

BOOK      UNSEALED 

AN 

Exposition  of  Prophecy 

AND 

AMERICAN     ANTIQUITIES. 


The  Claims  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  Examined 
and  Sustained. 


CHAPTER  I. 
THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON: 

The  Book  of  Mormon  derives  its  name  from  the 
writer  of  one  of  the  several  books  of  which  it  is  com- 
posed, whose  name  was  Mormon,  and  who  compiled 
the  several  books  as  they  appear.  The  book,  by  those 
not  acquainted  with  it,  has  been  supposed  to  counte- 
nance and  sanction  the  institution  of  polygamy,  while 
just  the  opposite  is  true;  nothing  in  the  realm  ot  litera- 
ture being  more  condemnatory  of  polygamy. 

"Wherefore,  my  brethren,  hear  me,  and  harken  to 
the  word  of  the  Lord:  For  there  shall  not  any  man 
among  you  have  save  it  be  one  wife;  and  concubines  he 
shall  have  none,  for  I  the  Lord  God  delighteth  in  the 
chastity  of  women." —Book  of  Mormon,  p.   ii6.      (All 


2.  THK    BOOK    UNSEALED. 

citations  from  Piano  edition  except  where  other's  works 
are  quoted). 

The  time  the  Book  of  Mormon  covers  is  divided 
into  two  periods;  the  first,  from  the  confusion  of  lan- 
guages at  Babel,  from  whence  the  first  colony,  the  Jar 
edites  came  to  the  western  continent,  to  the  time  they 
becartie  extinct,  which  was  wrought  through  a  series  of 
bloody  wars  before  the  Nephite  colony  came  over  from 
Jerusalem,  which  migration  occurred  during  the  reign 
of  Zedekiah,  kingof  Judah,  about  6co  B.  C.  This  col- 
ony having  become  possessed  of  the  Jaredite  record, 
and  having  completed  their  own,  added  the  record  of 
the  former  people  in  an  abridged  form. 

The  second  colony,  some  years  after  their  arrival 
here,  divided,  each  party  taking  the  name  of  its  respect- 
ive leader,  and  so  were  known  as  Nephites  and  La- 
manites. 

The  Jaredites,  like  the  Ne[)hites  and  L^amanites, 
were  of  the  white  race.  The  Lamanites,  because  of 
their  rebellion  against  God  and  his  appointments,  were 
cursed  with  a  dark  or  copper  colored  skin,  their  de- 
scendants being  the  American  Indians  of  today.  Both 
of  the  colonies  were  a  highly  civilized,  enlightened  and 
religious  people,  and  attained  excellence  in  art,  science, 
architecture  and  agriculture. 

The  Nephites  lost  their  national  existence  in  war 
with  the  Lamanites  about  the  year  420  of  the  Christian 
era;  the  remnant  of  that  people  were  then  merged  into 
the  Lamanites.  Their  records  were  hidden  in  the  place 
from  which  they  were  taken  in  1827  by  Joseph  Smith, 
the  translator  of  the  book. 

From  the  preface  to  Delafield's  work  entitled  '\\n 
inquiry  into  the  Origin  of  the  Antiquities  of  America," 


THE    BOOK    UNSKALED.  3. 

which  was  published  in  1839,  at  New  York,  London  and 
Paris,  by  the  Right  Rever;ind  Chas.  P.  Mcllvaine,  D.  D., 
bishop  of  the  diocese  of  Ohio: 

"Suppose  that  in  searching  the  tumuli  that  are 
scattered  so  widely  over  this  country,  the  silent,  aged, 
mysterious  remembrance  of  some  populous  race,^nce 
carrying  on  all  the  business  of  life  where  now  are  only  the 
wild  forests  of  many  centuries,  a  race  of  whom  we  ask 
so  often,  who  they  were,  whence  they  came,  whither 
they  went;  suppose  that  untler  one  of  those  huge  struct- 
ures of  earth  which  remain  of  their  works,  a  book  were 
discovered,  an  alphabetic  history  of  that  race  for  a  thous- 
and years,  containing  their  written" language,  and  exam- 
ples of  their  poetry  and  other  literature,  and  all  undeni- 
ably composed  many  hundreds  of  years  before  any  of 
the  nations  now  possessing  this  continent  were  here! 
What  a  wonder  would  this  be!  What  intense  interest 
would  attach  to  such  a  relici  What  price  would  not  the 
learned  be  willing  to  give  for  iti" 

The  Book  of  Mormon,  published  ten  years  before 
Mr.  Mcllvaine  wrote,  gave  the  facts  he  asked  and  sighed 
for. 

Josiah  Priest,  in  American  Antiquities^  edition  of 
1838,  p.  361,  says: 

"But  what  has  finally  become  of  these  nations,  and 
where  are  their  descendants,  are  questions  which,  could 
they  be  answered,  would  be  highly  gratifying." 

Mr.  Wm.  Pidgeon,  in  his  Traditions  of  De-coo-dah 
and  Antiquarian  Researches,  edition  of  1853,  p.  11, 
says:  "But  it  yet  remains  for  America  to  awake  her 
story  from  sleep,  to  string  lyre,  and  nerve  the  pen,  to  tell 
the  tale  of  her  antiquities,  as  seen  in  the  relics  of  na- 
tions, coeval  perhaps  with  the  oldest  works  of  man." 


4-  THE    BOOK    UNHEALED. 

'i'hese  men,  with  all  others  who  have  written  on 
American  antiquity,  while  setting  aside  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon as  a  matter  of  nonsense,  pile  up  the  evidences  of  its 
divinity  as  the  reader  will  see  as  he  proceeds. 

Rev.  John  AlcCalman,  of  New  Bedford,  Massachu- 
setts, prea  ihed  in  the  Middle  Street  Christian  church 
in  that  place,  S  mday,  March  4th,  1894,  in  the  course 
of  which  sermon  he  said: 

"The  word  of  the  Lord  is  divine  communication, 
teaching  his  children  what  to  do  under  circumstances 
in  which  they  find  themselves  at  a  given  time  and  place. 
Sometimes  we  call  it  confidence.  If  today  your  hearts 
are  open  to  receive  divine  communication,  the  word  of 
the  Lord  will  be  present.  You  ask,  how  shall  I  know 
it  is  the  word  of  God?  Joseph  Smith  published  to 
the  world  at  large  that  he  had  received  a  divine  com- 
munication. Now,  what  right  have  I  to  say  that  that 
communication  was  not  a  divine  one?" 

"God  moves  in  a  mysterious  way"  in  many  things. 
The  Book  of  Mormon  he  caused  to  come  forth  before 
the  Antiquities  of  America  were  known,  and  in  their 
discovery  by  those  who  did  not  accept  the  book  he 
secures  a  cloud  of  witnesses. 

The  Book  of  Mormon  has  been  criticised  on  two 
lines:  P'irst,  its  literary  inelegance,  and  second,  that  it 
is  not  a  true  record.  Is  Peter's  part  of  the  New  Tes- 
tament untrue  because  not  so  elegant  as  the  writing  of 
the  learned  Paul? 

Here  is  what  some  of  the  writers  in  the  Book  of 
Mormon  say  of  this  work: 

"And  I  know  that  the  record  which  I  makeistrue> 
and  I  make  it  with  mine  own  hand;  and  I  make  it  accord- 
ing to  my  knowledge." — B.   of  M.,  p.  i,  par.    i.     1'he 


THE    B(^OK    UNSEALED.  5. 

record  was  made  according  to  Nephi's  knowledge,  not 
according  to  the  knowledge  of  God,  but  the  things  re- 
corded are  true. 

"And  it  came  to  pass  that  I,  Jacob,  began  to  be 
old;  and  the  record  of  this  people  being  kept  on  the 
other  plates  of  Nephi,  wherefore  I  conclude  this  record, 
declaring  that  I  have  written  according  to  the  best  of 
my  knowledge." — B.  of  M.,  p.  131,  par.  8. 

"And  whoso  receiveth  this  record,  and  shall  not 
condemn  it  because  of  the  imperfections  which  are  in 
it,  the  same  shall  know  of  greater  things  than  these. 
Behold,  I  am  Moroni;  and  were  it  possible,  I  would 
make  all  things  known  unto  you." — B.  of  M.  p.  495, 
par.  I.  The  same  admission  is  made  by  Moroni  on 
page  500,  paragraph  8. 

The  prophets  and  apostles  were  inspired  of  God  to 
write  and  speak;  and  yet  each  one  has  his  distinctive 
style  of  expression.  This  seems  to  plainly  indicate 
that,  as  a  rule,  God  gave  the  sentiment, — the  ideas  — 
but  these  men  were  left  to  express  these  ideas  according 
to  their  own  language,  and  their  own  knowledge. 

"Home's  Introduction,"  p.  115: 

"When  it  is  said,  that  Scripture  is  divinely  inspir- 
ed, we  are  not  to  understand  that  God  suggested  every 
word  or  dictated  every  expression.  From  the  dif- 
ferent styles  in  which  the  books  are  written,  and  from  the 
different  manner  in  which  the  same  events  are  related  and 
predicted  by  different  authors,  it  appears  that  the  sa- 
cred penmen  were  permitted  to  write  as  their  several 
tempers,  understandings,  and  habits  of  life,  directed; 
and  that  the  knowledge  communicated  to  them  by  in 
spiration  on  the  subject  of  their  writings,  was  applied 
in  the  same  manner  as  any  knowledge  acquired  by  or- 


6.  IHE    BOOR    UNSEALED. 

dinary  means.  Nor  is  it  to  be  supposed  that  they  were 
even  thus  inspired  in  every  fact  which  they  related,  or 
in  every  precept  which  they  delivered.  They  were  leU 
to  the  common  use  of  their  faculties,  and  did  not,  upon 
every  occasion,  stand  in  need  of  supernatural  communi- 
cations; but  whenever,  and  as  far  as  divine  assistance 
was  necessary,  it  was  always  afforded." 

Also,  page  521:  "But  with  respect  to  the  choice 
of  words  in  which  they  wrote,  I  know  not  but  they 
might  be  left  to  the  free  and  rational  exercise  of  their 
own  minds,  to  express  themselves  in  the  manner  that 
was  natural  and  familiar  to  them,  while  at  the  same 
time  they  were  preserved  from  error,  in  the  ideas  they 
conveyed.  If  this  were  the  case,  it  would  sufficiently 
account  for  the  over  observable  diversity  of  style  and 
manner  among  the  inspired  writers.  The  Spirit  guided 
them  to  write  nothing  but  truth  concerning  religion, 
yet  they  might  be  left  to  express  that  truth  in  their  own 
language."  Quoted  by  Home  from  "Parry's  Inquiry 
into  the  Nature  and  Extent  of  the  Inspiration  of  the 
Apotsles." 

A  few  facts  are  now  presented  in  a  miscellaneous 
manner  in  the  remainder  of  this  chapter. 

"For  sure  it  is  the  earth  that  moves  and  not  the 
sun."  — B.  of  M.,  Helaman,  4:  8. 

"The  scriptures  are  laid  before  thee,  yea,  and  all 
things  denote  there  is  a  God;  yea,  even  the  earth,  and 
all  things  that  are  upon  the  face  of  it,  yea,  and  its  mo- 
tion; yea,  and  also  all  the  planets  which  move  in  their 
regular  form,  doth  witness  that  there  is  a  Supreme  Cre- 
ator."—  B.  of  M.,  Alma,  i6  :  7. 

Now  let  a  voice  from  the  World's  Fair  confirm  this, 
for  the  Book  of  Mormon  has  been  charged  with  having 


I'lIK    BOOK    UNSKAI.ED.  7. 

claimed  to  contain  knowledge  of  the  rotary  motion  of 
the  earth  before  it  had  been  discovered,  and  now  it  is 
authenticated: 

"ANCIENT  AMERICANS. 
'THKY    WERE    GREAT    ASTRONOMERS. 

"World's  Fair  Grounds,  Chicago,  August  29.  — 
What  is  claimed  to  be  a  correct  interpretation  of  the 
ancient  Aztec  calendar  was  made  public  for  the  first 
time  today  at  a  meeting  of  the  anthropological  congress 
at  the  Fair.  Scholars  pronounce  it  to  be  the  most  im- 
portant discovery  in  its  line  of  this  century. 

"The  interpretation  was  made  by  a  woman,  Mrs. 
Zelia  Nuttal,  one  cf  the  judges  of  ethnology  at  the  Fair, 
who  explained  the  wonderful  calendar  to  the  anthropo- 
logical congress.  Dr.  Daniel  G.  Drinton,  A.  B.,  pres- 
ident of  the  congress,  said  it  would  eventually  lead  to 
a  translation  of  the  hieroglyphics  carved  on  the  ruins 
of  Mexico  and  Central  America  and  thus  reveal  the  his- 
tory of  the  wonderfid  people  who  built  them. 

"The  accuracy  and  perfection  of  the  calendar  is 
convincing  evidence  of  the  civilization  and  mathemati- 
cal attainments  of  the  ancient  inhabitants  of  America. 
It  was  estimated  that  no  less  than  4,000  years  of  astro- 
nomical observations  would  have  been  necessary  to 
perfect  the  calendar.  A  complete  cycle  of  the  calendar 
referring  to  the  revolution  of  the  moon  and  earth 
about  the  sun  covers  a  period  of  1,094  years.  It  shows 
that  the  ancient  inhabitants  of  America  were  familiar 
with  the  movements  of  the  planets,  Jupiter,  Venus, 
Mercury,  and  perhaps  Mars,  as  well  as  those  of  the 
Earth  and  Moon." 

The  above  clipping  is  from  the  St.  Joseph,  Mis- 
souri, weekly  News,  of  September  ist,  1893. 


8.  THE    BOOK    UNHEALED. 

Book  of  Mormon,  Nephi,  4th  chapter,  sets  forth  iti 
a  graphic  manner  the  convulsions  that  took  i)lace  on 
this  continent  of  North  America  and  says:  "But  behold, 
there  was  a  more  great  and  terrible  destruction  in  the 
land  northward:  for  behold,  the  whole  face  of  the  land 
was  changed."  ('I'he  reader  is  referred  to  the  entire 
chapter.) 

John  T.  Short,  in  his  American  Antiquties  pa'ge 
233,  writing  of  a  race  of  giants  says:  A  great  convul- 
sion of  nature  which  shook  the  earth,  and  caused  the 
mountains  and  volcanoes  to  swallow  up  and  kill  them.'' 
On  page  125,  "In  1857,  a  portion  of  a  human  cranium 
was  found  associated  with  bones  of  the  mastodon  at 
the  depth  of  one  hundred  and  eighty  feet  below  the  sur- 
face in  a  mining  shaft  at  Table  Mountain,    California."" 

Baldwin,  in  his  x\ncient  America,  page  176,  says  of 
Central  America:  "The  land  was  shaken  by  frightful 
earthquakes,  and  the  waves  of  the  sea  combined  with 
volcanic  fire  to  overwhelm  and  engulf  it." 

Josiah  Priest  describes  three  wells  near  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  the  shallowest  being  eighty  feet  deep,  in  each  of 
which  when  dug,  the  stump  of  a  tree  was  taken  out  at 
that  depth.  The  citations  are  given  in  chapter  ten  of 
this  book. 

And  in  addition  to  the  above  a  very  singular  dis- 
covery was  reported  in  the  Leadville,  Colorado,  papers 
in  March,  1891.  A  man  by  the  name  of  John  Sunger 
had  brought  to  the  city  an  arrowhead,  made  of  temper- 
ed copper,  and  a  number  of  human  bones,  which  were 
found  in  a  mine,  four  hundred  and  sixty  feet  below  the 
surface  of  the  earth,  imbeded  in  a  vein  of  silver  bearing 
oar.  Over  one  hundred  dollars  worth  of  ore  clung  to 
the  bones  when  they  were    removed    from    the    mine. 


THE    BOOK    UNSHALEI).  9. 

M  he  arrowhead  is  four  inches  long,  and  one  and  one 
half  inches  wide  at  the  widest  part.  The  shank  is  one 
and  one  half  inches  long  and  has  a  hole  pierced  through 
the  center  by  which  the  shaft  was  fastened  to  the  spike. 
The  oar  clung  to  it  when  taken  from  the  vein,  and  was 
with  some  difficulty  removed." 

Any  one  who  has  crossed  Wyoming  on  the  Union 
Pacific  railroad  in  day  light  has  seen  what  is  by  many 
believed  to  have  been  the  bottom  of  a  great  inland  sea, 
which  it  appears  clearly  to  have  been. 

All  who  have  seen  the  famous  Salt  Lake  Valley  of 
Utah,  could  trace  what  is  called  the  water  line.  It  is 
far  up  the  Wasatch  mountains,  and  is  to  be  seen  all 
around  the  valley  and  marks  where  the  lake  waters  once 
stood.     "The  face  of  the  land  was  changed." 

A  number  of  works  on  xAntiquity  relate  similar 
facts.  See  chapter  nine  of  this  work,  citation  from 
Pittsburg  Leader,  telling  of  brick  and  a  coin  found  at 
the  depth  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  five  feet  in  a 
well  at  Helena,  Arkansas. 

A  remarkable  corroboration  of  the  above  is  found 
in  a  paper  written  by  Dr.  D.  L.  Yates,  the  same  having 
been  read  by  T.  H.  Hittel  before  the  Historical  Soci- 
ety, in  a  meeting  of  that  body  held  in  San  Francisco. 
The  same  appeared  in  the  Bulletin  in  March,  1888,  as 
follows: 

"It  fs'as  said  that  California  possessed  some  ot 
the  oldest  known  relics  on  the  continent.  The  first 
authenticated  record  of  the  original  occupants  was 
found  on  the  table  mountain  region  in  Tuolumne  county, 
and  is  of  an  age  prior  to  the  great  volcanic  outburst. 
Fossil  remains  of  the  rhinoceros  and  an  extinct  horse 
are    found    under    the    lava    layers    forming    the  table 


lO.  IHK    i;<><)K    UNSRAI^KD. 

mountains  which  are  1,400  feet  thick,  1,700  feet  wide 
T>  *  *  where  the  river  beds  have  been  washed  out, 
and  have  been  covered  again  to  the  depth  of  from  three 
thousand  to  four  thousand  feet  more  since  the  flow  of 
the  lava.  This  lava  rests  on  a  bed  of  detritus,  which 
is  often  entered  by  running  tunnels  (in  mining).  The 
human  relics  and  stone  implements  found  in  these 
formations  give  evidence  of  human  habitants  differing 
from  any  known  since.  There  have  been  found  spear- 
heads, a  pipe  of  polished  stone,  two  scoop  of  stalactite 
rock  (resembling  the  grocer's  scoop),  an  implement  of 
aragonite,  resembling  an  unbent  bow,  but  the  use  of 
which  is  unknown  and  cannot- be  conjectured,  a  stone 
needle  with  notches  at  the  larger  end,  and  the. finest 
charmstones  that  have  ever  been  found. 

"There  have  been  brought  to  light  the  fossils  of 
nine  mastodons,  twenty  elephants,  various  pachyderms 
in  the  Table  Mountains,  numerous  evidences  of  animal 
life  in  the  calcareous  formations  in  the  Texas  flats,  ob- 
sidian spearheads,  fossils  of  the  elephant,  horse  and 
camel  about  Hornitos,  bones  and  evidences  of  prehis- 
toric human  industry  in  Tulare,  and  in  Trinity  and 
Siskiyou  many  proofs  of  the  contemporaneous  exist 
ence  of  man  and  extinct  mammals. 

"In  the  San  Jose  Valley  are  deep  layers  of  conif- 
erous trees  in  such  a  carbonized  state  that  they  crumble 
into  dust  when  exposeil  to  the  air.  They  «are  of  the 
pliocene  period,  and  show  that  the  entire  topography 
of  the  region  has  changed,  and  that  where  now  the 
valleys  and  mountains  are  destitute  of  timber,  they 
were  once  coniferous  and  deciduous  trees,  affording 
food  and  shelter  to  monster  mammals  in  comparison  to 
which,  man  was  but  an  insignificant  mite.      In  the  lay- 


IHh:     HOOK     L'N>HALKI).  II. 

ers  of  the  iniocene  period  are  found  in  California  the 
remains  of  amphibious  animals  not  to  be  found  else- 
where/' 

Thus  it  is  seen,  that  east,  west,  north  and  south, 
unmistakable  evidences  abound  to  show  that  "the  face 
of  the  land  was  changed,''  as  stated  in  the  Book  of 
Mormon. 

On  pages  399,  408,  426-428,  Book  of  Mormon, 
the  Gadianton  robbers  are  described  and  their  strong- 
holds in  their  mountain  home  in  the  cliffs.  Any  one 
who  was  at  the  World's  Fair  could  well  appreciate  the 
account,  having  seen  the  exhibit  of  the  Cliff  Dwellers. 
The  Independent  Patriot  of  September  14th,  1893,  con- 
tains the  following: 

"In  this  exhibit  may  be  seen  what  is  intended  to 
represent  the  moiiatain  homes  of  the  cliff  dwellers;  the 
methods  by  which  they  obtained  ingress  and  egress; 
the  rugs,  mats,  implements  of  war  and  peace  which 
they  had;  some  of  the  corn  they  raised,  with  cob,  grain 
and  husk  quite  well  preserved.  When  we  reached  this 
point  in  the  exhibit  the  lecturer  was  asked  how  long  ago 
he  supposed  this  race  to  have  lived  upon  this  continent. 
He  answered,  'From  two  to  four  thousand  years.' 
*From  what  part  of  the  earth,  and  what  branch  of  the 
human  family  do  you  suppose  these  people  to  have 
come?'  'From  the  ancient  Aryan  branch  of  Asia, 
which  sent  out  portions  of  its[]descendants  to  Africa, 
Europe,  and  I  think  also  to  America.' 

"The  skulls  of  the  cliff  dwellers  were  exhibited  in 
profusion,  and  presented,  as  we  were  told  by  the  lect- 
urer, the  appearance  of  having  belonged  to  a  highly 
intelligent  and  well  developed  race  of  people.  Some 
(iays  previous  to  our  visit,    he  informed  us,    a  profess- 


12.  THE    BO(3K    UNSEALED. 

ional  phrenologist  had  visited  the  room,  and  to  him 
had  been  handed  an  Indian  skull  along  with  a  cliff 
dweller's.  He  at  once  stated  that  the  latter  was  a  well 
developed  type  of  a  highly  civilized  and  intelligent 
race;  while  the  former  looked  more  like  the  skull  of  an 
American  Indian  than  anything  else.  These  were 
handed  the  professor,  as  we  were  told,  without  his 
being. informed  as  to  what  race  or  races  they  belonged." 

All  who  saw  the  hair  on  skulls,  and  several  bunches 
besides,  will  attest  it  was  of  fine  texture  and  of  various 
shades  of  brown  and  auburn.  Very  unlike  Indian  hair; 
but  like  that  of  the  white  race.      Being  there,  I  saw  it. 

Baldwin,  on  page  173,  says: 

"Tradition  of  the  native  Mexicans  and  Central 
Americans  xiescribed  the  first  civilizers  as  "bearded 
white  men,"  who  "came  from  the  east  in  ships." 

This  accords  with  the  Book  of  Mormon,  pages 
502-505. 

Bancroft,  volumn  5,  page  24,  says: 

"There  are  numerous  vague  traditions  of  settle- 
ments or  nations  of  white  men  who  lived  apart  from 
the  other  people  of  the  country,  and  were  possessed  of 
an  advanced  civilization." 

Josiah  Priest,  in  his  edition  of  1838,  page  390^ 
American  Antiquities,  gives  headlines  for  a  chapter 
thus:  "Traits  of  white  nations  in  Georgia  and  Kentucky 
before  Columbus'  time  and  the  traditions  ot  the  Indians 
respecting  them." 

Donnely  says  of  the  Peruvians:  "The  native  tra- 
ditions said  this  city  was  built  by  bearded  white  men, 
who  came  there  long  before  the  time  of  the  Incas,  and 
established  a  settlement."  — Atlantis,  p.  393. 

The  Jaredites  and  Nephites  were  both  white. 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED.  I3. 


AN  ACCOUNT  OF  RELICS  AT  THE  WORJ^D'S  FAIR. 

Don  McGuire,  Chief  Dept.  Mines  and  Archaeology, 
of  Utah,  contributing  to  Salt  Lake  City  Tribune, 
in  its  issue  for  October  29th,  1893.  says: 

"In  the  department  of  anthropology  at  Jackson 
Park,  man  has  an  opportunity  of  becoming  acquainted 
with  the  remains  and  relics  of  many  races.  *  *  *  In 
the  Wisconsin  state  collection  there  is  a  fine  lot  of  cop- 
per implements  and  arms,  consisting  of  axes,  chisels, 
lance  heads,  arrow  points,  needles,  combs,  cups, 
crowns,  armlets,  finger  rings,  and  hundreds  of  articles, 
the  use  of  which  is  wholly  a  mystery  to  us.  From  the 
same  state  comes  stone  axes  and  stone  lance  heads. 
The  copper  was  taken  from  the  present  copper  mines 
of  Lake  Superior;  it  was  hammered  into  form,  and  this 
hammering  rendered  it  quite  hard.  The  tools  are  very 
well  fashioned  and  show  considerable  skill. 

"There  is  a  fine  exhibit  from  south,  central  and 
northern  Illinois,  which  comes  from  the  mounds  of 
this  state.  The  work  is  well  done  and  it  is  varied  in 
its  makeup.  Flint,  steatite,  clay,  limestone  and  cop- 
per were  used  as  in  Wisconsin,  and  amongst  the  Illinois 
collection  we  are  struck  with  the  beauty  of  the  great 
array  of  pipes  found  in  the  mounds,  some  of  which 
are  exceedingly  beautiful. 

"But  when  the  collection  of  the  Ohio  Valley  is 
reached  we  are  before  the  greatest  find,  and  at  the 
same  time  most  varied  collection  that  has  been  made 
for  many  years  from  the  mounds  of  that  region,  and 
one  that  surpasses  in  many  ways  all  that  we  found  in 
any  of  the  state   exhibits   east   of   the   Missouri   river. 


14-  THE    BOOK    UNSEALED. 

One  Charles  Morehead  for  the  two  past  years  has  been 
engaged  in  excavating  in  the  great  mounds  of  Central 
Ohio,  around  Marietta  and  through  the  Sceota  \  alley. 
From  a  few  mounds  of  that  state  we  see  here  a  collec- 
tion of  copper  tools  of  every  description,  also  of  tools 
of  obsidian  and  also  of  flint,  and  beautiful  ornaments 
of  abalone  shell,  and  mother  of  pearl,  and  thousands 
of  pearls,  along  with  articles  of  bone,  stone  and  cop- 
per, long  since  perished.  There  was  cloth  and  feather 
work,  but  it.  is  now  in  dust. 

"The  fortress  in  which  these  were  found  would 
conveniently  contain  forty  thousand  people,  and  when 
we  see  the  articles  of  agriculture  we  have  little  doubt 
but  that  this  people  who  occupied  this  land  in  remote 
ages  were  a  great  commercial  and  far  travelling  race  of 
men" 

Writes  of  Colorado  relics:  ^'These  relics  and  dis- 
coveries consist  of  fifteen  very  well  preserved  mummies 
of  the  ancient  cliff-dwellers,  and  a  great  variety  of  their 
pottery,  stone  weapons  and  wooden  implements,  cotton 
cloth,  feather  cloth,  cordage,  tanned  leather,  bone  and 
shellwork,  haircloth,  hair  cordage,  and  husk  matting 
and  carpets,  corn,  cotton  seed,  squash,  pumpkin  and 
gourd  seed;  in  a  word,  it  represents  that  ingenious  and 
lost  people  as  they  were,  and  the  mummies  are,  as  they 
lie  there,  about  as  interesting,  repulsive  and  iU-odored 
a  lot  of  human  junk  as  ever  startled  a  weak-nerved 
mortal  of  this  world/' 

Of  a  Utah  skeleton  and  relics:  '*It  is  the  finest 
specimen  of  desiccated  humanity  ever  discovered  on 
the  American  continent,  and  with  him  were  found  the 
most  interesting  and  valuable   lot  of  relics  yet  brought 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED.  1 5. 

forth  from  a  cliff-dweller's  tomb.  They  consist  of  pot- 
tery, corn,  beans,  cotton  cloth,  feather  cloth,  cordage 
of  various  kinds,  wooden  implements,  pipes,  arrow  and 
lance  heads." 

Of  Central  American  ruins:  "These  remains  were 
taken  from  the  desolate  and  long  abandoned  cities  that 
are  buried  deep  amid  the  forests  of  Central  America, 
where  beyond  question  at  one  time  remote  in  the  by- 
gone years  a  great  city  and  a  proud  nation  flourished. 
As  we  look  out  of  the  building  we  behold  sections  of 
those  old  palaces  that  were  built  here  as  fac-similes  of 
the  architecture  of  these  races  that  are  found  in  Yuca- 
tan. Old  palaces  represented  here  show  wonderful  ar- 
chitecture, which  even  in  our  own  day  of  great  build- 
ings compare  favorably  with  the  most  substantial  of 
man's  work.  There  is  a  mystery,  dark,  deep,  unfath- 
omable in  all  these  traces  of  a  lost  race,  those  altars 
rich  in  sculptured  relief  work,  these  raised  inscriptions 
in  an  unknown  and  lost  tongue,  all  are  as  a  wild,  un- 
distinguishable  voice  coming  back  from  vanished  gen- 
erations that  have  crossed  the  flood." 

Of  Peruvian  relics:  ^'There  is  here  also  from  Peru 
a  large  number  of  pots,  vases,  cups,  dishes  of  very  fine 
workmanship  by  the  artisans  of  fhe  Inca  empire.  Their 
cotton,  their  vicuna  wool,  their  tanned  leather,  their 
corn,  dried  fruit,  their  weapons,  arms  and  jewels  of 
obsidian,  jasper,  copper,  gold  and  silver.  "No  such 
exhibit  was  ever  made  outside  of  Peru,  and  as  one  gazes 
spellbound  upon  this  rich  and  ancient  lot  of  skeletons, 
mummies,  pottery,  gold  and  silver  from  Peru,  he  re- 
grets that  the  fair  is  not  to  last  twelve  months  longer." 

"The  uniform  and  constant  report  of  Peruvian 
tradition   places  the   beginning  of   this  old  civilization 


1 6.  THE    BOOK    UNSEAI.ED. 

in  the  valley  of  Cuzco,  near  lake  Titicaca." — Baldwin's 
Ancient  America,  page  236. 

"Those  who  criticise  Montesinos  admit  that  'his 
advantages  were  great,'  that  'no  one  equaled  him  in 
archselogical  knowledge  of  Peru,'  and  that  'he  became 
acquainted  with  original  instruments  which  he  occas- 
onally  transferred  to  his  own  pages  *  *  '^'  difficult  to 
meet  elsewhere.'" — Ibid  263. 

Of  Peruvian  civilization  he  says:  "'It  was  origin- 
ated,' he  says,  'by  a  people  led  by  four  brothers,  who 
settled  in  the  Valley  of  Cuzco.  "*  *  *  The  youngest  of 
these  brothers  assumed  supreme  authority  and  became 
the  first  of  a  long  line  of  sovereigns.'  "^ — Ibid  264. 

The  above  agrees  exactly  to  the  Nephite  colony 
as  any  one  will  discover  by  reading  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon, Laman,  Lemuel,  Samuel  and  Nephi  were  the 
brothers,  and  position,  no  doubt,  that  of  Peru.  Nephi, 
the  youngest  of  the  four  was  the  first  of  a  long  line  of 
rulers. 

The  Marqueis  De  Nadaillac  in  his  work  ''Prehis- 
toric People,"  on  pages  268-9  ^"^  elsewhere,  sets  forth 
that  the  ancient  American's  trepanned  skulls,  tells  of 
the  skulls  being  found  showing  the  operatfon,  he  sug- 
gests it  was  done  with  stone.  His  imagination  must 
be  strong,  trepanning  is  by  no  means  a  common  piece 
of  surgery  with  the  instruments  of  to-day.  The  steel 
instruments  of  the  ancient  Americans  all  having  de- 
cayed by  rust,  therefore  stone  would  do  for  anything 
is  concluded.  The  wonderful  and  extensive  buildings 
of  Central  America,  are  passed  by  many  in  silence  as 
to  what  the  tools  were  that  were  used  in  their,  construc- 
tion. 


THE    HOOK    UNSEALED.  1 7. 

It  is  recently  admitted  that  the  builders  of  Egyp- 
tian pyramids  had  some  tools,  possibly  it  will  be,  some 
day,  that  the  Americans  had  also. 

"TOOLS  OF  THE  PYRAMID  BUILDERS. 

'•^A  two  years'  study  at  Gizeh  has  convinced  Mr. 
Flinders  Petrie  that  the  Egyptian  stone  workers  of 
four  thousand  years  ago  had  a  surprising  acquaititance 
with  what  have  been  considered  modern  tools.  Among 
the  many  tools  used  by  the  pyramid-builders  were 
both  solid  and  tubular  drills  and  straight  and  circular 
saws.  The  drills,  like  those  of  to-day,  were  set  with 
jewels  (probably  corundum,  as  the  diamond  was  very 
scarce),  and  even  lathe'tools  had  such  cutting  edges. 
So  remarkable  was  the  quality  of  the  tubular  drills  and 
the  skill  of  the  workmen,  that  the  cutting-marks  in 
hard  granite  give  no  indication  of  wear  of  the  tool, 
while  a  cut  of  a  tenth  of  an  inch  was  made  in  the  hard- 
est rock  at  each  revolution,  and  a  hole  through  both 
the  hardest  and  softest  material  was  bored  perfectly 
smooth  and  uniform  throughout." — American  Analyst, 
New  York. 


CHAPTER  IL 
CONTINENTS  AND  NATIONS, 

There  being  two  continents,  nothing  is  more  rea- 
sonable than  that  the  people  of  each  may  have  had  re- 
cognition from,  and  communication  with  God. 

That  this  is  clearly  adraissable,  is  evident  from 
Acts  17;  24-27,  ^^Go-d  that  made  the  world,  and 
iall  things  ^  *  hath  made  of  one  blood  all  nations  of 
anen  for  to  dwell  on  all  the  face  of  the  earth,  and  hath 
determined  the  times  before  appointed,  and  the  bounds 


l8.  THE    BOOK    UNSEALED. 

of  iheir  habitation.  That  they  should  seek  the  l.or.l, 
if  haply  they  might  feel  after  him  and  find  him,  though 
he  be  not  very  far  from  every  one  of  us." 

The  following  points  are  clear: 

ist x\ll  nations  were  from  one  source. 

2d. — By  God's  decree  they  were  to  inhabit  "All 
the  face  of  the  earth." 

3d. — Their  distribution  as  to  "times"  and  "bounds" 
God  directs. 

4th. — "They  should  seek  the  Lord."  He  would 
not  command  them  to  seek  unless  it  were  possible  that 
he  should  be  found.  Peter  said,  "Of  a  truth  I  perceive 
that  God  is  no  respector  of  persons,  but  in  every  na- 
tion he  that  feareth  him  and  worketh  righteousness  is 
accepted  with  him." — Acts  10:  34. 

As  the  nations  of  the  eastern  continent  sought  and 
found  God,  and  had  revelation  and  covenant  relation 
with  him,  so  could  the  nations  *of  the  western  conti- 
nent, in  fulfillment  of  God's  covenant  to  Abraham: 
"And  in  thy  seed  shall  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  be 
blessed,  because  thou  hast  obeyed  my  voice." — Gen. 
22:  18.  The  Prophet  Ezekiel,  in  chapter  37,  mentions 
two  "sticks,"  (records),  one  for  Judah  and  the  child- 
ren of  Israel  his  companions,  "another  stick  [record] 
for  Joseph  and  for  all  the  house  of  Israel,  his  compan- 
ions." 

The  stick  for  Judah  being  the  Bible,  a  similiar 
record  or  "another  stick"  should  appear  for  Joseph. 
This  is  realized  in  the  Book  of  Mormon,  which  is  a 
record  of  the  dealings  of  God  with  the  descendants  of 
Joseph  on. the  western  continent.  It  is  therefore  of 
equal  authority  with  other  sacred  writings,  and  throws 
light   upon   doctrine,   promise   and   prophecy.      For  as 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED.  I9. 

Paul  says,  "All  scripture  is  given  by  inspiration  of  God 
and  is  profitable  for  doctrine,  for  reproof,  for  correc- 
tion, for  instruction  in  righteousness,  that  the  man  of 
God  may  be  thoroughly  furnished  in  all  good  works." 
—2  Tim.  3:  19.  It  does  not  in  any  sense  supplant  the 
Bible  or  take  its  place,  but  is  a  companion  volume 
thereto. 

We  quote  Bishop  Mcllvaine  again  from  preface  to 
Delafield's  work.  He  is  right,  that  American  Antiquity 
is  to  confirm  the  Scriptures.  The  gospel  of  Christ  had 
been  taught  here  as  the  priests  supposed.  The  uni- 
versal and  uniform  .traditions  of  the  nations  of  both 
continents  are  strong  evidence  of  a  common  origin  as 
set  forth  in  this  chapter  from  the  Bible; 

"Traditions  have  been  distinctly  traced,  in  oppo- 
site regions  of  the  globe,  and  in  the  most  unconnected 
nations  of  the  creation;  of  the  production  of  all  living 
creatures  out  of  watef  by  the  power  of  the  Supreme 
mind;  the  formation  of  man,  last,  in  the  image  of  God, 
his  being  invested  with  dominion  over  all  other  animals; 
the  primitive  state  of  innocence  and  happiness;  Para- 
dise; the  Sabbath;  the  division  of  time  into  weeks; 
the  fall  of  man;  (the  mother  of  mankind  is  represented 
in  American  tradition  as  fallen  aad  accompanied  by  a 
serpent);  the  promise  of  a  deliverer;  Cain  and  Abel; 
the  general  degeneracy  of  mankind;  the  longevity  of 
the  Patriarchs;  the  general  deluge;  the  escape  of  only 
a  siagle  family  in  an  ark;  the  dove  sent  out  by  Noah; 
the  rainbow  as  a  sign;  the  number  of  persons  in  the 
ark;  the  Tower  of  Babel;  the  destruction  of  Sodom 
and  Gomorrah — these  with  divers  circumstances  and 
details  illustrating  the  main  particulars.  So  remark- 
able were  the  traditions  of  several  of  these  facts,  among 


20.  THE    BOOK    UNSEALED. 

the  inhabitants  of  America,  at  the  time  of  the  Spanish 
conquest,  that  the  priests,  who  accompanied  the  army^ 
were  induced  to  suppose  that  Christianity,  or  at  least 
Judaism,  had  been  inculcated  among  them  at  some 
very  distant  period.  Humboldt,  however,  sees  no  need 
of  such  explanation  'since  similar  traditions,  (he  says) 
of  high  and  venerable  antiquity,  are  found  among  the 
followers  of  Brama,  and  among  the  Shamans  of  the 
eastern  steppes  of  Tartary.' 

'"The  traditions  of  the  deluge  are  particularly 
numerous.  They  are  derived  from  the  oldest  nations 
of  antiquity — the  Chaldeans,  Egyptians,  Greeks  (and 
mentioned  by  Berosus,  Hesiod,  Plato,  Plutarch,  Lu- 
cian,  &c  ),  as  well  as  from  people  the  most  recently 
discovered;  as  the  natives  of  North  and  South  America 
and  of  the  islands  of  the  South  Sea.  The  antipodes  of 
the  earth  unite  in  testimony  to  the  deluge.  Chinese 
and  Sanscrit  literature  concurs  with  Chilian  and  Peru- 
vian and  Mexican  tradition  in  bearing  witness  to  that 
catastrophe.  Among  the  natives  of  America  it  is  com- 
memorated by  a  fable  similar  to  that  of  Pyrrha  and 
Deucalion.  'These  ancient  traditions  of  the  human 
race  (says  Humboldt)  which  we  find  dispersed  over  the 
surface  of  the  globe,  like  the  fragments  of  a  vast  ship- 
wreck, are  of  the  greatest  interest  in  the  philosophical 
study  of  our  species.   *  *  * 

"The  Antiquities  of  America  are  an  immense  field 
for  inquiry,  hardly  entered;  abounding  in  promise  of 
reward  for  the  most  devoted  investigations.  Let  it  be 
thoroughly  explored  for  the  truth's  sake.  The  Scrip- 
tures have  yet  to  gather  a  richer  cabinet  of  illustrative 
and  corroborating  collections  from  the  long  buried  and 
unknown  depositories  of  American  antiquity. 


THK     HOOK     UNSRALED.  2i, 

"■In  reference  to  the  question,  whether  all  the  races 
of  men  have  descended  from  one  common  stock,  the 
antiquities  of  this  continent  are  especially  interesting, 
and  may  prove  of  very  great  value.  It  is  a  question, 
indeed,  forever  settled  by  the  researches  of  Bryant, 
Faber  and  Sir  William  Jones:  'The  dark  Negro,  the 
white  European,  and  the  swarthy  Asiatic,  being  plainly 
traced  to  their  respective  ancestors  in  the  family  of 
Noah.'  But  much  confirmatory  testimony  may  yet  be 
obtained.  The  contingent  of  America  to  the  host  of 
evidence  already  in  array  is  yet  to  take  its  entire  place 
in  the  line.  If  the  present  volume  shall  only  increase 
the  ardor  of  investigation  and  the  number  of  minds 
turning  their  energies  upon  the  disinterment  of  the 
buried  antiquarian  treasures  of  this  continent,  jt  will  do 
a  good  work  and  deserve  the  thanks  of  all  lovers  of 
truth. — Kenyon  College,  Ohio,  January,  1839." 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  JAREDITES  FROM  BABEL. 

On  pages  501-2,  (new  edition  445-6),  of  the  Book 
of  Mormon  is  an  account  of  the  Jaredites  who  were* 
led  from  the  tower  of  Babel  to  a  "choice  land,"  '"be- 
yond the  sea."  In  answer  to  prayer  they  were  permit- 
ted to  retain  their  language,  which  was  the  Adamic, 
and  so  were  not  given  a  new  language  in  the  confusion 
of  tongues.  The  statement  found  in  Gen.  9:18,  19, 
confirms  such  position:  "And  of  them  [sons  of  Noah] 
was  the  whole  earth  overspread."  The  foregoing  dec- 
laration was  evidently  intended  to  include  in  its  fulfill- 
ment events  connected    with  the  confusion  of  tongues 


2  2.  THE    BOOK    UNSEALED. 

at  Babel.  It  is  written:  "So  the  Lord  scattered 
them  abroad  from  thence  upon  the  face  of  all  the 
earth.  Therefore  is  the  name  of  it  called  Babel;  be- 
cause the  Lord  did  there  confound  the  language  of  all 
the  earth,  and  from  thence  did  the  Lord  scatter  them 
abroad  upon  the  face  of  all  the  earth.'' — Gen.   ii:  8,  9. 

Opinions  of  many  old  Spanish  writers  were  ex- 
pressed in  substance  by  Father  Duran  in  1585  in  his 
history,  '-New  Spain."  "Adair  the  expert,  and  Eman- 
uel De  Moraes,  agree  that  the  Quichees  by  tradition 
afifirm  that  they  made  a  long  journey  by  land  and 
crossed  the  sea  from  the  east.  The  tradition  of  their 
origin  states  that  they  came  from  the  far  east  across 
immense  .tracts  of  land   and  water." 

It  is  scarcely  presumable  that  from  the  year  1492 
A.  D.  to  the  year  1585  A.  D.,  only  ninety-three  years 
having  elapsed,  that  the  Indians  could  have  had  such 
a  tradition  created  and  received  a»nong  them  as  com- 
ing down  through  their  sages,  by  their  limited  contact 
with  the  treacherous  Spaniards,  who  had  from  the  very 
beginning  betrayed  all  confidence  reposed  in  them. 

"In  Yucatan  the  traditions  all  point  to  an  eastern 
•AND  FOREIGN  origin  for  the  race.  The  early  writers 
report  that  the  natives  believe  their  ancestors  to  have 
crossed  the  sea  by  a  passage  which  was  opened  for 
them." — Landa's   Relacion,  p.  28.      Atlantis  167. 

I)r.  Le  Plongeon,  in  a  newspaper  article  states: 
"Of  the  Nahan  predecessors  of  the  Toltecs  in  Mexico 
the  Olmecs  and  Xicalancans  were  the  most  important. 
They  were  the  forerunners  of  the  great  race  that  fol- 
lowed. According  to  Ixtlilxochitl.  these  people — 
which  are  conceded  to  be  one — occupied    the  world  in 


IHF.    H(10K    UNSEALED.  2^^. 

the  third  age;  they  came  from  the  East  in  ships  or 
barks  to  the  land  of  Potonchan,  which  they  com- 
menced  to  populate."     Atlantis,  p.   167. 

From  Josiah  Priest:  "If  so,  then  it  is  clear  that 
the  inhabitants  of  x\merica  who  had  the  knowledge  of 
this  kind  of  fabrication,  did  indeed  belong  to  an  era 
as  ancient  as  the  first  people  of  Asia  itself,  and  even 
before  the  settlement  of  Europe;  this  is  not  a  small 
witness  in  favor  of  our  opinion  of  the  extreme  antiquity 
of  those  ancient  works  of  the  west." — Priest's  Ameri- 
can Antiquities,  p.  258. 

Pidgeon  says:  "That  the  present  Indians  and 
the  ancient  Mound  Builders  were  of  distinct  national 
origin,  is  equally  evident." — Traditions  of  Dee-Coo- 
Dah,  p.    101. 

Equally  as  positive  upon  the  distinct  race,  is  Mac- 
Lean:  "An  ancient  race,  entirely  distinct  from  the 
Indian,  possessing  a  certain  degree  of  civilization, 
on<:e  inhabited  the  central  portion  of  the  United 
States. "t — Mound  Builders,  p.  13. 

Bancroft  says:  "Most  and  the  best  authorities 
deem  it  impossible  that  the  Mound  Builders  were  even 
the  remote  ancestors  of  the  Indian  tribes;  and  while 
inclined  to  be  less  positive  than  most  who  have  written 
on  the  subject  respecting  the  possible  changes  that 
have  been  effected  by  a  long  course  of  centuries,  I 
think  that  the  evidence  of  a  race  locally  extinct,  is 
much  stronger  here  than  in  any  other  part  of  the  con- 
tinent."— Nat.  Races  of  Pacific  States,  Vol.  4,  p.  787. 

Stephens,  writing  of  the  antiquity  of  Palenque, 
says:  "Here  were  the  remains  of  a  cultivated,  pol- 
ished AND  PECULIAR  PEOPLE  who  had  passcd  through 
all  THE  STAGES  incident  to  the  rise  and  fall  of  nations, 


2  4.  THE    BOOK     L'NSEAI-ED. 

reached  their  golden  age  and   perished  entirely   vs- 
known/' — Incidents  of  Travel  in    Yucatan,  Vol.    2,  p. 

356. 

''The  most  ancient  civilization  on  this  continent, 
judging  from  the  combined  testimony  of  tradition, 
records,  and  architectural  remains,  was  that  which 
grew  up  under  the  favorable  climate  and  geographical 
surroundings  which  the  Central  American  region  south- 
ward of  the  Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec  afforded.  The 
great  Maya  family  with  its  numerous  branches,  each  in 
>time  developing  its  own  dialect,  if  not  its  own  peculiar 
language,  at  an  early  date  fixed  itself  in  the  fertile  val- 
ley of  the  river  Usumasinta,  and  produced  a  civiliza- 
tion which  was  old  and  ripe  when  the  Toltecs  came  in 
contact  with  it.  Here  in  this  picturesque  valley  re- 
gion in  Tabasco  and  Chiapas,  we  may  look  for  the 
cradle  of  American  civilization.  Under  the  shadow 
of  the  magnificent  and  mysterious  ruins  of  Palenque  a 
people  grew  to  power,  who  spread  into  Guatemala  and 
Honduras,  northward  toward  Anahuac  and  southward 
into  Yucatan,  and  for  a  period  of,  probably  twenty-five 
centuries,  exercised  a  sway,  which  at  one  time,  excited 
the  envy  and  fear  of  its  neighbors. 

''We  are  fully  aware  of  the  uncertainty  which  at- 
taches itself  to  tradition  in  general,  and  of  the  caution 
with  which  it  should  be  accepted  in  treating  of  the 
foundation  of  history;  but  still,  with  reference  to  the 
origin  and  growth  of  old  world  nations,  nothing  better 
offers  itself  in  many  instances  than  suspicious  legends. 
The  histories  of  the  Egyptians,  the  Trogens,  the  Greeks, 
and  even  of  ancient  Rome  rest  on  no  surer  footing. 
Clavigero  says,  the  Chiapanese  have  been  the  first  peo- 
plers  of  the  new  world,  if  we  give  credit  to  their  iradi- 


THE    l!OOK    UNSKALP.!).  25. 

tions.  They  say  that  Votan,  the  grandson  of  that  re- 
spectable old  man  that  built  the  great  ark  to  save 
himself  and  family  from  the  deluge,  anvl  one  of  those 
who  undertook  the  building  of  that  lofty  edifice,  which 
was  to  reach  up  to  heaven,  went  by  express  command 
of  the  Lord  to  people  that  land. 

''The  tradition  of  Votan,  the  founder  of  Maya  cul- 
ture, though  somewhat  warped,  probably  by  having 
passed  through  priestly  hands,  is  nevertheless  one  of 
the  most  valuable  pieces  of  information  which  we  have 
concerning  the  Ancient  Americans.  Without  it  our 
knowledge  of  the  Mayas  would  be  a  hopeless  blank  and 
the  ruins  of  Palenque  would  be  more  a  mystery  than 
ever. 

"According  to  this  tradition,  Votan  came  from  the 
East,  from  Valum  Chivim,  by  the  way  of  Valum  Votan, 
from  across  the  sea,  by  divine  command,  to  apportion 
the  land  of  the  new  continent  to  seven  families  vvhich 
he  brought  with  him."-  -North*Americans  of  Antiquity, 
John  T.  Short,  pages  203-4. 

Short  says,  of  Francisco  Nunes  de  la  Vega,  Bishop 
of  Chiapas,  who  had  read  a  book*  or  document  discov- 
ered by  him  and  which  is  mentioned  as  a  Votanic  doc- 
ument, ^'He  fails  to  give  any  definite  information  from 
the  document  except  the  most  general  statements  wich 
reference  to  Votan's  place  in  the  calendar,  and  his  hav- 
ing seen  the  tower  of  Babel,  at  vvhich  each  people  was 
given  a  new  language."— Ibid  206.  "While  some  of 
the  details  of  Votanic  tradition  are  not  worthy  of  a 
moment's  consideration,  it  is  quite  certain  that  in  the 
general  facts  we  ha\e  a  key  to  the  origin  of  what  all 
Americanists  agree  in  pronouncing  the  oldest  civiliza- 
tion on  this  continent,  one  which  was  already  gray  and 


26.  THE    HOOK    UNSEALED. 

declining  when  the  Toltecs  entered  Mexico.  There  is 
not  the  slightest  evidence  that  it  originated  in  any  other 
place  than  in  Chiapas  where  it  is  found,  and  extended 
itself  into  Guatemala,  Yucatan,  and  probably  branched 
northward  in  a  colony  as  remote  as  Culhuacan  " — Ibid 

2  lO. 

''It  is  found  in  the  history  of  the  Toltecs  that  this 
age  and  first  world,  as  they  call  it,  lasted  1716  years, 
that  men  were  destroyed  by  tremendous  rains  and  light- 
nings from  the  sky,  and  even  all  the  land,  without  the 
exception  of  anything,  and  the  highest  mountains  were 
covered  up  and   submerged  in  water  "^  *   fifteen  cubits 

*  *  and  how,  after  men  multiplied,  they  erected  a  very 
high  *  ^''  tower  *  *  in  order  to  take  refuge  in  it,  should 
the  second  world  [age]  be  destroyed.  Presently  the 
language  was  confused,  and  not  able  to  understand  each 
other,  they  went  to  different  parts  of  the  earth.  The 
Toltecs,  consisting  of  s^ven  friends  and  their  wives, 
who  understood  the  same  language,  came  to  these  parts, 

*  *  520  years  after  the  flood." — Ibid  238. 

In  the  introduction  to  his  History  General,  (Saha- 
gun)  in  speaking  of  the  origin  of  this  people,  expresses 
the  opinion  that  it  is  impossible  to  definitely  determine 
more  than  that  they  report,  "That  all  the  natives  came 
from  seven  caves,  and  that  these  seven  caves  are  the 
seven  ships  or  galleys  in  which  the  first  populators  of 
the  land  came.  This  people  came  in  quest  of  the  ter- 
restrial paradise,  and  were  known  by  the  name  of  Tam- 
oanchan,  by  which  they  mean,  "We  seek  our  home  " — 
Ibid  242. 

Delafield  says:  "A  tradition  exists  among  the  na- 
tive Mexicans  f-earing  close   analogy  to  the  Semitic  ac- 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED.  27. 

count  of  the  flood,  the  building  of  the  tower  of  Babel 
and  its   destruction.'' — Antiquities,  p.  ^^. 

And  still  more  important  from  the  same  author: 
'"Still  farther  and  more  important  evidence,  however, 
renders  the  point  conclusive  that  southern  Asia  was  the 
birth-]dace  of  this  people,  as  we  detect  among  them 
actual  traditions  of  the  flood,  the  building  of  Babel  and 
the  death  of  Abel;  and  from  their  cosmogony  we  think 
we  trace  farther  traditions  of  the  famine  and  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  cities  of  the  plain.  These  historical  facts 
stamp  their  origin  conclusively,  as  they  are  peculiar  to 
those  who  have  been  once  residents  of  the  country 
where  the  transactions  occurred."" — Ibid,  p.  41. 

Bancroft  says:  "They  believed  the  rainbow  was 
not  only  a  passive  sign  that  the  earth  would  not  be  de- 
stroyed by  a  second  deluge,  but  an  active  instrument  to 
prevent  the  recurrence  of  such  a  catastrophe." — Na- 
tional Races,  Vol.  5,  p.  17. 

Again  he  says:  "Many  of  these  flood  myths  are 
supplemented  with  an  account  of  an  attempt  to  provide 
against  a  second  deluge,  by  building  a  tower  of  refuge, 
resembling  more  or  less  closely  the  Biblical  legend  of 
the  tower  of  Babel." — Ibid,  p.  17. 

He  extends  his  remarks  as  follows:  "These  myths 
have  lead  many  writers  to  believe  that  the  Americans 
had  a  knowledge  of  the  tower  of  Babel,  while  some 
think  that  they  are  the  direct  descendants  of  the  build- 
ers of  that  tower,  who,  after  the  confusion  of  tongues, 
wandered  over  the  earth  until  they  reached  America." — 
Ibid,  p.  18. 

Speaking  of  Votan,  Bancroft  says:  "Votan,  an- 
other mysterious  personage,  closely  resembling  Quetz- 
alcoatl  in   many  points,  was   the   supposed    founder  of 


28.  THK    H<)(JK     UNSEALED. 

the  Maya  civilization.  He  is  said  to  have  been  a  de- 
scendant of  Noah,  and  to  have  assisted  at  the  building 
of  the  tower  of  Babel.  After  the  confusion  of  tongues, 
he  lead  a  portion  of  the  dispersed  people  to  America.'' 
— Nat.  Rac.   Pac.   States,  Vol.  5,  p.  27. 

"The  polished  nations  of  the  new  world,  and  par- 
ticularly those  of  Mexico;  preserve  in  their  traditions 
and  in  their  paintings  the  memory  of  the  creation  of 
the  world  and  of  the  building  of  the  tower  of  Babel, 
the  confusion  of  language  and  the  dispersion  of  the 
people." — Short's  American  Antiquities,  p.    140. 

All  of  the  above  citations  are  very  confirmatory  of 
the  account  cited  in  the  Book  of  Mormon,  respecting 
the  migration  of  the  Jaredites  to  the  western  continent. 
As  to  the  peculiar  construction  of  the  vessels  of  the 
Jaredite  colony,  (which  are  eight  in  number,  seven  of 
which  were  used  for  the  people,  the  remaining  one 
specially  for  their  cargo),  the  following  is  very  interest- 
ing: "The  little  steamer  Norton,  which  is  to  sail  from 
Long  Island  Sound  for  Southern*  France  to-morrow,  is, 
it  is  claimed  by  her  builder  and  captain,  a  craft  that 
cannot  sink.  She  is  only  fifty-eight  feet  in  length,  but 
the  most  conspicuous  feature  about  her  is  that  she  has 
a  double  bottom  and  six  ballast  compartments  Water 
is  admitted  through  holes  in  the  outer  bottom.  When 
the  boat  careens,  the  body  of  water  between  the  bot- 
toms presses  the  air  in  the  compartments  and  acts  as 
a  ballast,  the  air  serving  as  a  cushion.  This  prevents 
the  boat  from  capsizing  or  from  diverging  far  from  its 
center,  even  in  the  roughest  seas.  It  is  claimed  that 
the  double  bottom  and  air  tight  compartments  make  it 
impossible  to  sink  should  the  boat  be  cut  in  two.  If 
the  builder's  theory  be   correct,  its  application  will  rev- 


VHK    H(^Ok    UNSF.ALED.  29. 

c)lutionize  naval  architecture.  The  result  of  the  Nor- 
ton's first  voyage  will  be  awaited  with  great  interest." 
— Philadelphia  Record,  December  13,  1891. 

"If  Victor  Hugo  were  now  alive  he  would  have  a 
new  field,  or  new  light  on  one  of  his  old  fields  of  work. 
Navigating  the  sea  has  always  been  supposed  to  mean 
plowing  the  surface,  whatever  the  motor  might  be. 
But  we  can  now  travel  under  the  sea  as  well  as  on  the 
surface.  Recent  experiments  have  been  made  at  Tou- 
lon with  a  submarine  boat,  that  proves  to  be  a  great 
success.  It  runs  from  nine  to  ten  knots,  while  the 
light  is  good  and  respiration  easy.  The  boat  can  be 
moved  in  any  direction,  either  vertically  or  horizontal- 
ly. It  will  carry  five  persons.  Of  course  its  purport 
is  warfare,  but  there  is  no  reason  why  such  a  boat  may 
not  be  applied  to  purposes  more  peaceful,  especially  to 
aid  scientific  research."— Globe-Democrat,  February 
3d,  1889. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

TWO   DISTINCT  AND  HIGHLY  CIVIL- 
IZED PEOPLES. 

'*The  Neolithic  and  Bronze  ages  preceded  the  Pal- 
eaolithic,  at  least  in  the  Mississippi  basin,  not  that  the 
last  inhabitants  deteriorated  and  lost  the  high  arts 
which  are  well  known  to  have  been  cultivated  upon 
the  same  soil  by  them,  but  that  they  were  preceded  by 
a  race  possessed  of  no  inferior  civilization,  who  were  not 
their  ancestors,  but  a  distinct  people  with  a  capacity 
for  progress,  for  the  exercise  of  government,  for  the 
erection  of  magnificent  architectural    monuments,  and 


30. 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED. 


possessed   of  a    respectable   knowledge  of  geometrical 
principles." — North    Americans    of  Antiquity,  (Short), 

P-  27. 

Pidgeon  says:  "From  these  facts  in  connection 
with  the  traditions  of  De  Coo  Dah,  respecting  the  an- 
cient inhabitants  of  these  regions,  as  of  various  lan- 
guages, customs  and  color,  we  are  led  to  the  conclusion 
that  at  least  two  distinct  races  of  men  have  occupied 
this  territory  at  different  eras,  and  that  both  became 
nationally  extinct  anterior  to  the  occupation  of  the 
present  Indian  race.'' — Traditions  of  De  Coo  Dah,  pp. 
176-7. 

Bancroft  says:  "The  resemblance  in  the  different 
groups  of  ruins  in  Chiapas,  Yucatan  and  Honduras,  are 
more  than  sufficient  to  prove  intimate  conneciion  be- 
tween the  builders  and  artists.  The  differences  poiated 
out  prove  just  as  conclusively  that  the  edifices  were  not 
all  erected  and  dedicated  by  the  same  people,  under 
the  same  laws  and  religious  control,.at  the  same  epoch." 
— Native  Races,  Pacific  States,  Vol.  4,  p.  359. 

"It  is  a  point  of  no  little  interest  that  these  old 
constructiotis  belong  to^  different  periods  in  the  past, 
and  represent  somewhat  different  phases  of  cixiliza- 
tion."  *  *  "The  attention  of  investigators  has  lin- 
gered in  speculation.  They  find  in  them  a  significance 
which  is  stated  as  follows  by  Brasseur  de  Bourbourg: 
'Among  the  edifices  forgotten  by  time  in  the  forests  of 
Mexico  and  Central  America,  we  find  architectural 
characteristics  so  different  from  each  other,  that  it  is 
impossible  to  attribute  them  to  the  same  people  as  to 
believe  they  were  all  built  at  the  same  epoch.'" — Bald- 
win's Ancient  America,  pp.  155.  156, 


'IHK    BOOK    UNSF.ALED.  3  I. 

We  have  now  presented  Short,  Pidgeon,  Bancroft 
and  Baldwin,  four  eminent  authorities  on  there  having 
been  two  distinct  peoples,  and  who  preceded  the  abo- 
rigines of  America,  in  the  possession  of  this  land,  which 
supports  the  claim  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  for  the 
Jaredite  and  Nephite  colonizations.  These  four  author- 
ities agreeing  as  to  the  "two  distinct"  peoples,  and  Mr. 
Short  classing  them  as  having  "capacity"  for  the  "ex- 
ercise of  government,"  "erection  of  magnificent  archi- 
tectural monuments,"  and  possessed  of  a  "respectable 
knowledge  of  geometrical  principles,"  we  shall  now  pre- 
sent evidences  of  high  civilization  without  classification. 

Pidgeon  says:  "It  cannot  any  longer  be  denied 
that  there  has  been  a  day  when  this  continent  swarmed 
with  millions  of  inhabitants,  when  the  arts  and  sciences 
flourished." — Antiquarian  Researches,  p.  5. 

Of  ancient  America's  knowledge  of  astronomy, 
Donnelly  says:  "It  will  be  conceded,  that  a  consider- 
able degree  of  astronomical  knowledge  must  have  been 
necessary  to  reach  conclusively  that  the  true  year  con- 
sisted of  365  days  and  six  hours;  (modern  science  has 
demonstrated  that  it  consists  of  365  days,  five  hours, 
less  ten  seconds),  and  a  higher  degree  of  civilization 
was  requisite  to  insist  that  the  year  must  be  brought 
around  5y  the  intercalation  of  a  certain  number  of  days 
in  a  certain  period  of  time,  to  its  true  relation  to  the 
season.  Both  were  the  outgrowth  of  a  vast  ancient 
civilization  of  the  highest  order." — Atlantis,  p.  368. 

That   Abraham  was  an  astronomer,  appears  from  a 
statement  made  by  Josephus:    "Berosus,"  says  he,  "men 
tions  our  father  Abraham,  not  by  name,  but  after  this 
manner:     'In  the  tenth  generation  after  the  flood  there 
were  among  the   Chaldeans  a  righteous  man,  who  was 


32.  THE    BOOK    UNSEAf-ED. 

also  skilled  in  the  knowledge  of  the  heavens.'  '" — Jose- 
phus,  Book  1,  Chapter  7. 

Abraham's  posterity  in  Egypt  first,  then  in  America, 
were  versed  in  astronomy:  "The  Egyptians  were  the 
first  land  surveyors,  mathematicians  and  astronomers 
of  the  old  world.  They  calculated  the  eclipses  and 
periods  of  the  planets  and  constellations  from  a  remote 
antiquity." — l^eginnings  of  Civilization,  p.  35.  and  At- 
lantis, p.  364. 

The  proficiency  of  the  Aztecs,  in  astronomy  is 
thus  spoken  of  by  Prescott:  "That  they  should  be 
capable  of  accurately  adjusting  their  festivals  by  the 
movements  of  the  heavenly  bodies,  and  should  fix  the 
true  length  of  the  tropical  year  with  a  precision  un- 
known to  the  great  philosophers  of  antiquity,  could  be 
the  result  only  of  a  long  series  of  nice  and  patient  ob- 
servations, evincing  no  slight  progress  in  civilization." 
— Atlantis,  p.  352. 

Delafield  says:  "The  investigations  of  Mons  Bai- 
ley in  the  astronomy  of  the  ancients  generally,  of 
Mons.  Jomard  in  that  of  Egypt,  and  of  Baron  Hum- 
boldt in  that  of  Mexico  and  South  America,  present 
most  striking  incidents  of  coincidence,  not  only  their 
division  of  time,  but  also  in  the  Zodiacal  signs.''  — Del- 
afield, p.  48. 

Mr.  Jomard  says:  "I  have  also  recognized  in 
your  memoir  on  the  division  of  time  among  the  Mex- 
ican nations,  compared  with  those  of  Asia,  some  very 
striking  analogies  between  the  Toltec  character,  and 
institutions  observed  on  the  banks  of  the  Nile.  Among 
these  analogies  is  one  worthy  of  attention.  It  is  the 
use  of  the  vague  year  of  three  hundred  and  sixty-five 
days,    composed    of    equal    months,    and  of  five  com- 


THE     HOOK     UNSEALED.  T,;^. 

pieinentary  days  equally  employed  at  Thebes  and  Mex- 
ico, a  distance  of  three  thousand  leagues  '' — Ibid,  p.  52. 

Mr.  Schoolcraft  gives  this  account  of  a  discovery 
iriade  in  West  Virginia:  "Antique  tube;  telescopic  de- 
vice. In  the  course  of  excavations  made  in  1842  in  the 
easternmost  of  three  mounds  of  the  Elizabethtovvn  group, 
several  tirbes  of  stone  were  disclosed,  the  precise  object 
of  which  have  been  the  subject  of  various  opinions. 
The  longest  measured  twelve  inches,  the  shortest  eight. 
Three  of  them  were  carved  out  of  steatite,  being  skill- 
fully cut  and  polished.  The  diameter  of  the  tube,  ex- 
ternally, was  one  inch  and  four-tenths.  The  bore 
eight-tentlis  of  an  inch.  The  caliber  was  continued 
until  within  three-eighths  of  an  inch  of  the  sight  end, 
when  it  diminishes  to  two-tenths  of  an  inch.  By  plac- 
ing the  eve  at  the  diminished  end,  the  extraneous  light 
is  shut  from  the  pupil  and  distant  objects  are  more 
clearly  discerned."  ^^  *  "An  ancient  Peruvian  relic 
found  a  few  years  since,  shows  the  figure  of  a  man 
wrought  in  silver,  in  the  act  of  studying  the  heavens 
through  such  a  tube.'' — Baldwin's  Ancient  America, 
p.  42. 

"It  has  been  already  stated  that  finely  wrought 
telescopic  tubes  have  been  found  among  remains  of  the 
Mound  Builders.  They  were  used,  it  seems,  by  the  an- 
cient people  of  Mexico  and  Central  America,  and  they 
were  known  also  in  ancient  Peru,  where  a  silver  figure 
of  a  man  in  the  act  of  useing  such  a  tube  has  been  dis- 
covered in  one  of  the  old  tombs." — Baldwin's  Ancient 
America,  p.  123. 

"•Montesinos  gives  a  list  of  sixty-four  sovereigns 
who  reigned  (in  Peru)  in  the  first  period.*  *  The 
twenty-first     Manco-Capac-Amauta,    being    adicted    to 


34-  'I'H^>    HOOK     INSf.ALKD. 

astronomy,  convened  a  scientific  council.  *  *  Amauta, 
the  thirty-eighth  of  the  line,  Yahuar-Huquiz,  the  fifty- 
first  were  'celebrated  for  astronomical  knowledge,'  and 
the  latter  'intercalated  a  year  at  the  end  of  four  cen- 
turies.' " — Ibid,  pp.  264-6. 

''From  the  earliest  ages,  we  find  skill  and  knowl- 
edge in  astronomy,  and  the  more  we  examine,  the  more 
we  are  surprised  at  the  extent  of  astronomical  science 
in  the  earliest  history  of  the  world." — Delatield's  Amer- 
ican Antiquity,  p.  48. 

"This  is  no  slight  analogy,  to  find  the  system  of 
intercalation  and  the  number  of  complementary  days 
identical  between  Mexico  and  Egypt." — Ibid,  p.  50. 

"In  the  sanctuaries  of  Palenque  are  found  sculpt- 
ured representations  of  idols  which  resemble  the  most 
ancient  gods,  both  of  Egypt  and  Syria;  planispheres 
and  godiacs  exist,  which  exhibit  a  superior  astronomi- 
cal and  chronological  system  to  that  which  was  pos- 
sessed by  the    Egyptians." — Ibid  p.  50. 

Priest,  quoting  Atwater:  "  'On  the  whole,'  says 
Atwater,  'I  am  convinced  from  an  attention  to  many 
hundreds  of  these  works  in  every  part  of  the  west  which 
I  have  visited,  that  their  authors  had  a  knowledge  of 
astronomy.'"      American  Antiquity,  p.  273. 

Le  Plongeon,  says:  "The  Troano,  (Maya  Book) 
is  a  very  ancient  treatise  on  geology." — Sacred  Mys- 
teries, p.  70.  So  it  will  certainly  appear  that  at  that 
day  the  science  of  geology  was  not  without  its  devotees 
and  propagators  in  ancient  America.  Of  "Chimu,"  a 
city  of  South  America,  built  by  the  ancients,  Doiinelly 
says:  "Tombs,  temples  and  palaces  arise  on  every 
hand,  ruined  but  still  traceable,  immense  pyramidal 
structures,  some  of    them  a    half   mile   in    circuit;   vast 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED.  35. 

areas  shut  in  l-y  massive  walls,  each  containing  its  wa- 
ter tank,  its  shops,  municipal  edifices,  and  the  dwell- 
ings of  its  inhabitants,  and  each  a  branch  of  a  larger 
organization;  prisons,  furnaces  for  smelting  metals,  and 
almost  every  concomitant  of  ci/ilization  existed  in  the 
ancient  Chimu  capital. "--Atlantis,  p.  393. 

Baldwin  says:  "To  find  the  chief  seats  and  most 
abundant  remains  of  the  most  remarkable  civilization 
of  this  old  American  race,  we  ^'-  *  go  *  "^  into  Central 
America  and  *  *  Mexico.  *  '•'  Many  ancient  cities 
have  been  discovered.  *  *  The  chief  peculiarity  of 
these  ruins,  *  *  is  the  evidence  they  furnish  that  their 
builders  had  remarkable  skill  in  architecture  and  '■' 
ornamentation.  *  *  The  rooms  and  corridors  in  these 
edifices  were  finely  and  often  elaborately  finished;  plas- 
ter, stucco,  and  sculpture  being  used.  *  *  "Through- 
out," he  again  says,  (quoting  Stephens),  "the  laying 
and  polishing  of  the  stones  are  as  perfect  as  under  the 
rules  of  the  best  modern  masonry.  *  *  The  ornamen- 
tation is  no  less  remarkable  than  the  masonry  and  ar- 
chitectural fitiish'." — Ancient  Ainerica,  pp.  93,  99. 

The  Marquis  de  Nadaillac,  author  of  Prehistoric 
America,  says  of  the  old  civilization  of  Peru:  "No- 
where in  the  world,  perhaps,  has  man  displayed  greater 
energy.  It  was  in  these  desolate  regions  that  arose  the 
most  powerful  and  most  highly  civilized  empire  of  the 
two  Americas,  *  *  imposing  ruins,  *  *  fortresses  de- 
fending it,  *  *  roads  intersecting  it,  *  *  canals  con- 
ducting the  water  for  fertilizing  the  fields,  *  *  houses 
of  refuge  in  the  mountains  for  the  use  of  travelers,  *  * 
potteries,  linen  and  cotton  cloth,  ornaments  of  gold  and 
silver,  which  are  sought  for  by  the  Tapadas,  with  in- 
satiable zeal."  t — Prehistoric  America,  p    ^S8. 


30.  THE    ROOK    UNSEALED. 

Priest  says:  ''The  Americans  were  equal  in  an- 
tiquity, civilization  and  sciences,  to  the  nations  of 
Europe  and  Africa;  like  them  the  children  of  the  Asiat- 
ic nations." — Antiquities,  p.  305. 

Speaking  of  a  portion  of  the  ruins  of  l.abna,  Steph- 
ens says:  ''Above  the  cornice  of  the  building  rises  a 
gigantic  perpendicular  wall  to  the  height  of  thirty  feet, 
once  ornamented  from  top  to  bottom  and  from  one 
side  to  the  other  with  colossal  figures  and  other  designs 
in  stucco,  now  broken  into  fragments,  but  still  present- 
ing a  curious  and  extraordinary  appearance,  such  as  the 
art  of  no  other  people  ever  produced." — Incidents  of 
Travel  in  Yucatan,  Vol.  2,  p.  51. 

Baldwin  says:  "At  Palenque  are  remains  of  a 
well  built  aqueduct;  and  near  the  ruins,  especially  in 
Yucatan,  are  frequently  found  the  remains  of  many 
finely  constructed  aguadas  or  artificial  lakes.  *  *  These 
antiquities  show  that  this  section  of  the  continent  was 
anciently  occupied  by  a  people  admirably  skilled  in 
the  arts  of  masonry,  building,  and  architectural  decor- 
ation. Some  of  their  works  can  not  be.  excelled  by 
the  best  of  our  constructors  and  decorators." — Ancient 
America,   p.  loi. 

Short  says  of  Mexico:  ''Here  the  silver-smith, 
the  sculptor,  the  artist  and  the  architect,  we  are  led  to 
believe,  from  the  testimony  of  both  tradition  and  re- 
mains, flourished." — American  Antiquities,  p,  270. 

Baldwin,  of  Central  American  ruins,  says;  "As  to 
the  ornamentation,  the  walls,  piers,  and  cornices  are 
covered  with  it.  Everywhere  the  masterly  workman- 
ship and  artistic  skill  of  the  old  constructors  compel 
admiration,  Mr.  Stephens  going  so  far  as  to  say  of 
sculptured  human   figures  found  in  fragments,  Tn  just- 


THE    B(^OK    UNSEALED.  37. 

ness  of  proportion  and  symmetry,  they  must  have  ap- 
proached the  Greek  Models.  *  *  Dupaix  says:  'It 
is  impossible  to  describe  adequately  the  interior  deco- 
rations of  this  sumptuous  temple.' 

"Stephens  states,  in  the  Preface  to  his  work  on 
Yucatan,  that  he  visited  forty-four  cities  or  places." — 
Ancient  America,  pp.  108-9,  ^^5- 

Baldwin  says:  "Here,  (Copan)  as  at  Palenque,  the 
ornamentation  was  'rich  and  abundant.'  The  ruins, 
greatly  worn  by  decay,  still  show  that  'architecture, 
sculpture,  painting  and  all  the  arts  that  embellish  life, 
had  flourished  in  this  overgrown  forest.'"  —  Ancient 
America,  p.  113.  * 

Of  ruins  at  Mitla,  "Their  beauty,"  says  M.  Char- 
ney,  "can  be  matched  only  by  the  monuments  of  Greece 
and  Rome  in  their  best  days." — Ibid.,  p.  121. 

Of  the  ruin  called  "Kabbah,"  the  author  says: 
"The  cornice  running  over  the  doorways,  tried  by  the 
severest  rules  of  art  recognized  among  us,  would  em- 
bellish the  architecture  of  any  known  era." — Ibid.,  p. 

137- 

"Many  ages  must  have  been  required  to  develop 
such  admirable  skill  in  masonry  and  ornamentation." 
—Ibid.,  p.   153. 

In  the  late  work  of  John  T.  Short,  published  in 
1882,  he  tells  the  following  concerning  the  city  of 
Palenque:  *'The  accompanying  cut  shows  Waldeck's 
drawing  (employed  by  Mr.  Bancroft),  Four  hundred 
yards  south  of  the  palace  stands  the  ruins  of  a  pyramid 
and  temple,  which  at  the  time  of  Dupaix's  and  Wal- 
deck's visits  were  in  a  good  state  of  preservation,  but 
quite  dilapidated  when  seen  by  Charney.  The  temple 
faces    the  east,   and  on  the   western  wall   of  its  inner 


T^8.  THE    BOOK    UNSEALED. 

apartment  itself  facing  the  eastern  light,  is  found,  (or 
rather  was,  for  it  has  now  entirely  disappeared),  the 
most  beautiful  specimens  of  stucco  relief  in  America. 
M.  Waldeck  with  the  critical  insight  of  an  experienced 
artist  declares  it  worthy  to  be  compared  to  the  most 
beautiful  works  of  the  a-ge  of  Augustus.  He  therefore 
named  the  temple  Beau  Relief.  The  above  cut  is  a 
reduction  from  Waldeck's  drawing  used  in  Mr.  Han- 
croft's  work,  and  is  very  accurate.  However,  the 
peculiar  beauty  of  Waldeck's  drawing  is  such  that  it 
must  be  seen  in  order  to  be  fully  appreciated.  It  is 
scarcely  necessary  for  us  to  call  the  reader's  attention 
to  tlie  details  of  this  picture,  in  which  correctness  of 
designs  and  graceful  outlines  predominate  to  such  an 
extent,  that  we  may  safely  pronounce  the  beautiful 
youth  who  sits  enthroned  on  his  elaborate  and  artistic 
throne,  the  American  Apollo.  In  the  original  drawing 
the  grace  of  the  arms  and  wrists  is  truly  matchless,  and 
the  chest  muscles  are  displayed  in  the  most  perfect 
manner."—  North  Americans  of  Antiquity,  p.  387. 

The  same  author  further  writes  of  Palenque:  "-The 
stuccoed  roofs  and  piers  of  both  the  temples — Cross  and 
Sun — may  be  truly  pronounced  works  of  art  of  a  high 
order.  On  the  former,  Stephens  observed  busts  and 
heads  approaching  Greek  models  m  symmetry  of  con- 
tour and  perfectness  of  proportion.  Mr.  Waldeck  has 
preserved  in  his  magnificent  drawings  some  of  these 
figures,  which  are  certainly  sufficient  to  prove  beyond 
controversy  that  the  Ancient  Palenqueans  were  a  culti- 
vated and  artistic  people  In  passing  to  Uxmal  the 
transition  is  from  delineations  of  the  human  figure,  to 
the  elegant  and  exterior'  superabundant  ornamentation 
of  edifices,  and   from    stucco   to   stone   as    the  material 


THK    BOOK    UNSEALED.  39. 

em,  loyed.  The  human  figure,  however,  when  it  is  rep- 
resented, is  in  statuary  of  a  high  order.  The  elegant 
square  panels  of  grecques  and  frets  which  compose  the 
cornice  of  the  Casa  del  Gobernador,  delineated  in  the 
works  of  Stephens,  Baldwin  and  Bancroft,  are  a  marvel 
of  beauty  which  must  excite  the  admiration  of  the  most 
indifferent  student  of  the  subject."— Ibid.,  p.  392. 

Bancroft  says  in  regard  to  the  Peruvian  antiqui- 
ties: "The  Peruvians  seem  to  have  had  a  more  abund- 
ant supply  of  metals  than  the  civilized  nations  of  North 
America,  and  to  have  been  at  least  equally  skillful  in 
working  them.  The  cuts  show  specimens  of  copper 
cutting  implements,  of  which  a  great  variety  are  found. 
Besides  copper,  they  had  gold  and  silver  in  much 
greater  abundance  than  the  northern  artisans,  and  the 
arts  of  melting,  casting,  soldering,  beating,  inlaying 
and  carving  these  metals,  were  carried  to  a  high  degree 
of  perfection." — Native  Races,  Vol.  4,  p,  792. 

Bancroft  says:  "Closely  enveloped  in  the  dense 
forests  of  Chiapas,  Guatemala,  Yucatan  and  Honduras, 
the  ruins  of  several  ancient  cities  have  been  discov- 
ered, which  are  far  superior  in  extent  and  magnificence 
to  any  seen  in  Aztec  territory,  and  of  which  a  de- 
tailed description  may  be  found  in  the  fourth  volume 
of  this  work.  They  bear  hieroglyphic  descriptions  ap- 
parently identical  in  character;  in  other  respects  they 
resemble  each  other  more  than  they  resemble  the  Aztec 
ruins,  or  even  other  and  apparently  later  works  in  Gua- 
temala and  Honduras.  All  these  remains  bear  evident 
remarks  of  great  antiquity.  Their  existence  and  simi- 
larity, in  the  absence  of  any  evidence  to  the  contrary, 
would  indicate  the  occupation  of  the  whole  country,  at 
some  remote   period,  by  nations  far  advanced  in  civili- 


40.  THE    BOOK    UNSEALED. 

zation,  and  closely  allied  in  manners  and  customs,  if 
not  in  blood  and  language.  Furthermore,  the  tradi- 
tions of  several  of  the  most  advanced  nations  point 
to  a  wide-spread  civilization,  introduced  among  a 
numerous  and  powerful  people  by  Votan  and  Zarana, 
who,  or  their  successors,  built  the  cities  referred  to, 
and  founded  great  allied  empires  in  Chiapas,  Yucatan 
and  Guatemala.  And  moreover,  the  tradition  is  con- 
firmed by  the  universality  of  one  family  of  languages 
or  dialects  spoken  among  the  civilized  nations,  and 
among  their  descendants  to  this  day.  I  deem  the 
grounds  sufficient,  therefore,  for  accepting  this  Central 
American  civilization  of  the  past  as  a  fact." — Native 
Races  of  Pacific  States,  Vol.  2,  p.  116. 

In  regard  to  the  ruins  of  Palenque,  Stephens  says: 
"The  intermediate  country  is  now  occupied  by  races  of 
Indians  speaking  many  different  languages,  and  entirely 
unintelligible  to  each  other;  but  there  is  room  for  be- 
lief that  the  whole  of  this  country  was  once  occupied 
by  the  same  race,  speaking  the  same  language,  or  at 
least  having  the  same  written  characters." — Travels  in 
Central  America,  Chiapas  and  Yucatan,  Vol.  2,  p.  343. 

William  Hosea  Bullou,  in  Scientific  American  for 
January  26th,  1889,  quoting  Le  Plongeon,  says:  "Here 
(at  Chichen)  were  many  beautiful  mineral  paintings, 
probably  the  only  vestiges  now  existing  of  ancient 
American  art." 

With  regard  to  the  calendar  stone  of  Mexico,  Ban- 
croft says:  "The  calendar  stone  was  a  rectangular 
parallelopipedon  of  porphyry,  13  feet,i^  inches  square, 
3  feet,  3)^  inches  thick,  and  weighing  in  its  present 
mutilated  state,  24  tons." — Native  Race?,  Vol.  4,  p. 
506. 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED.  41. 

The  concentric  circles,  the  divisions,  ami  the  sub- 
divisions, without  numbers  are  traced  with  mathematical 
exactitude." — Ibid.,  p.  508. 

Of  this  stone  Short  says:  '*Thus  it  is  that  the 
stone  speaks  and  testifies  to  the  astronomical  knowledge 
of  the  Aztecs,  the  accuracy  of  which  casts  into  the 
shade  the  imperfect  Julian  Calendar  in  use  by  Eu- 
ropeans at  the  time  of  the  conquest." — American  An- 
tiquities, p.  455. 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  these  various  authors 
clearly  and  distinctly  affirm  that  the  ancient  denizens 
of  America  possessed  high  culture,  polish  and  civiliza- 
tion. And  so  do  they  add  their  testimony  in  support 
of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  for  that  is  in  line  with  its 
statements  touching  these  things. 


CHAPTER  V.  ^ 

BOOKS,   WEAVING  AND  DYEING, 

Elder  Wm.  Woodhead,  in  writing  for  Herald,  says: 
"The  following  description  of  the  'Troano'  will  prob- 
ably be  a  fair  one,  as  to  the  merit  of  the  'many  ancient 
Maya  books  said  to  have  been  destroyed  by  the  vandal- 
ism of  Landa  and  other  early  fathers.'  'The  Troano,' 
says  Dr.  Le  Plongeon,  'is  a  very  encient  treatise  on 
geology.'  " — Sacred  Mysteries,  p.  70. 

Of  writing  in  Central  America,  Baldwin  says:  "The 
ruins  show  that  they  had  the  art  of  writing,  and  that  at 
the  s&uth  this  art  was  more  developed,  more  like  a 
phonetic  system  of  writing  than  that  found  in  use  among 
the  Aztecs.  *  *  It  is  known  that  books  or  manu- 
script writings  were  abundant  among  them  in  the  ages 
previous  to  the  Aztec  period." — Ancient  America,  p. 
187. 


42.  THE    BOOK    UNSEALED. 

It  is  evident  then  tliat  these  books  were  not  the 
fruits  of  as*!ociation  with  the  Spaniards,  for  the  Aztec 
period  antedated  the  Spaniards  by  some  centuries. 

Baldwin  says:  "These  chroniclers  had  likewise  to 
calculate  the  days,  months  and  years,  and  though  they 
had  no  writings  like  ours,  they  had  their  symbols  and 
characters  through  which  they  understood  everything^ 
and  they  had  great  books,  which  were  composed  with 
such  ingenuity  and  art,  that  our  characters  were  really 
of  no  great  assistance  to  them.  Our  priests  have  seen 
those  books,  and  I  myself,  *  *  many  were  burned  at 
the  instigation  of  the  jnonks.  *  *  Books,  such  as  those 
here  described  by  Las  Cassas  must  have  contained  im- 
portant historical  information." — Ancient  America,  p. 
i88.  Again:  "We  learn  from  Spanish  writers  that  a 
still  greater  destruction  of  the  old  books  was  effected 
by  the  more  ignorant  and  fanatical  of  the  Spanish 
priests  wh%  were  established  in  the  country  as  mission- 
aries after  the  conquest.  This  is  said  by  Las  Cassas, 
himself,  one  of  the  missionaries" — Ibid.,  188-9 

"There  are  existing  monuments  of  an  American  an- 
cient history  which  invites  study,  and  most  of  which 
might,  doubtless,  have  been  studied  more  successfully 
in  the  first  part  of  the  sixteenth  century,  before  nearly 
all  the  old  books  of  Central  America  had  been  destroyed 
by  Spanish  fanaticism,  than  at  present." — Baldwin's 
Ancient  America,  p.  14. 

"They  were  highly  skilled,  also,  in  the  appliances 
of  civilized  life,  and  they  had  the  art  of  writing,  a  fact 
placed  beyond  dispute  by  their  many  inscriptions." — 
Ibid.,  101. 

"Sahagun  wrote  such  a  history,  which  shows  that 
he    had    studied    the  traditions    and    some    of   the    old 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED.  43. 

books;  this  work  is  printed  in  the  great  collection  of 
Lord  Kingsborough."--Ibid.,  191. 

Delafield  says:  "Their  buildings,  particularly  the 
sacred  houses,  were  covered  with  hieroglyphics.  Each 
race,  Egyptian,  Mexican  and  Peruvian  recorded  the 
deeds  of  their  gods  upon  the  walls  of  their  temples." — 
American  Antiquities,.-  p.  60. 

Speaking  of  a  sculptured  figure  al  Uxmal,  Steph- 
ens says:  "Around  the  head  of  the  principal  figure 
are  rows  of  characters.  We  now  discovered  that  these 
characters  were  hieroglyphics." — Incidents  of  Travel 
in  Yucatan,  Vol.  i,  p.   167. 

"In  Peru  a  paper  was  made  of  plantain  leaves,  and 
books  were  common  in  the  earlier  ages.  Humboldt 
mentions  books  of  hieroglyphical  writings  among  the 
Panoes,  which  were  'bundles  of  their  paper  resembling 
our  volumes  of  quarto.'  "—Atlantis,  p.  451. 

Of  the  Aztec  writing,  Baldwin  says:  "Their  skill  in 
architecture  and  architectural  ornamentation  did  not 
enable  them  to  build  such  cities  as  Mitla  and  Palenque, 
and  their  'picture  writing'  was  a  much  ruder  form  of 
the  graphic  art  than  the  phonetic  system  of  the  Mayas 
and  the  Quiches." — Ancient  America,  p.  221. 

From  the  above  we  are  led  to  believe  that  a  wide 
contrast  existed  in  the  writings  of  the  Ancient  Americans. 
Some  were  elegant  in  their  artistic  appearance,  while 
some  were  rude. 

Bancroft  describes  one  of  them  (the  Troano)  in 
these  words:  "The  original  is  written  on  a  strip  of 
maguey  paper  about  fourteen  feet  long  and  nine  inches 
wide,  the  surface  of  which  is  covered  with  a  white  var- 
nish, on  which  the  figures  are  painted  in  black,  red, 
blue,  and   brown.      It  is  folded  fan-like    in    thirty-five 


44-  I'HK    BOOK    UNSEALED. 

folds;  presenting,  when  shut,  much  the  appearance  of  a 
modern  large  octavo  volume.  The  hieroglyphics  cover 
both  sides  of  the  paper,  and  the  writing  is  consequent- 
ly divided  into  seventy  columns,  each  about  five  by 
nine  inches,  apparently  having  been  executed  after  the 
paper  was  folded,  so  that  the  folding  does  not  inter- 
fere with  the  written  matter.  *  "^  The  regular  lines 
of  written  characters  are  uniformly  black,  while  the 
pictorial  portions  of  what  may  perhaps  be  considered 
representative  signs  are  in  red  and  blue,  chiefly  the 
former,  and  the  blue  appears  for  the  most  part  as  a 
background  in  some  of  the  pages." — J.  T   Short,  p.  422 

This  description  of  the  Troano  will  probably  be  a 
fair  description  of  the  "many"  ancient  Maya  books 
said  to  have  been  "destroyed  by  the  vandalism  of 
Landa  and  other  early  Fathers." 

Desire  Charney  says:  "Documents  were  not  want- 
ing, and  had  the  religious  zeal  of  the  men  of  that  time 
been  less  ill-judged,  they  would  have  found  in  the  vari- 
ous multiform  manuscripts,  in  the  charts  or  maps,  in 
the  idols,  in  the  pottery  and  living  traditions,  ample 
and  reliable  materials  from  which  to  write  an  exhaust- 
ive history  of  the  Maya  civilization." — Ancient  Cities, 
p.  270. 

Some  of  the  Peruvian  tongues  had  names  for  pa- 
per, and  according  to  Montesino's  writing,  books 
were  common  in  the  older  times,  that  is  to  say,  in  ages 
long  previous  to  the  Incas." — Baldwin's  Ancient  Amer- 
ica, p.  255. 

"Humboldt  mentions  books  of  hieroglyphica) 
writings  found  among  the  Panoes,  on  the  river  Ucayli, 


THK    B(^OK    UNSEALED.  45. 

*  *  A  Franciscan  missionary  found  an  old  man  *  * 
reading  one  of  these  books  to  several  young  persons.*' 
—Ibid.,  255-6. 

Boudinot  says:  "There  is  a  tradition  related  by  an 
aged  Indian  of  the  Stockbridge  Tribe,  that  their  fathers 
were  once  in- possession  of  a  sacred  book,  which  was 
handed  down  from  generation  to  generation,  and  at 
last  HID  IN  THE  EARTH,  since  which  time  they  have  been 
under  the  feet  of  their  enemies."! — Star  of  the  West." 

Baldwin  says  of  Mound  Builders:  "They  manu- 
factured cloth,  but  their  intelligence,  skill  and  civilized 
ways  are  shown  not  only  by  their  constructions  and 
manufactures,  but  also  by  their  mining  works." — An- 
cient America,  p.  6i. 

McLean  says:  "The  Mound  Builders  *  *  for  their 
principal  raiment  used  cloth  regularly  spun  with  a  uni- 
form thread,  and  woven  with  a  warp  and  woof.  Frag- 
ments of  clothing  have  been  taken  from  a  low  mound 
near  Charleston,  Jackson  county,  Ohio.  In  construct- 
ing the  Cincinnati,  Hamilton  and  Dayton  R.  R.,  a 
mound  was  cut  through  near  Middleton,  Ohio,  and  in 
it  ^  *  was  found  cloth  connected  with  tassals  and  orna- 
ments.— Mound  Builders,"  p.  73. 

Donnelly  says:  "Their  works  in  cotton  and  wool 
exceed  in  fineness  anything  known  in  Egypt  at  that 
time  "   (Time  of  conquest). — Atlantis,  p.  395. 

Of  cloth  made  from  the  wool  of  Peruvian  sheep, 
Prescott  says:  "The  cloth  was  finished  on  both  sides 
alike;  the  delicacy  of  the  texture  was  such  as  to  give  to 
it  the  lustre  of  silk;  and  the  brilliancy  of  the  dyes  ex- 
cited the  admiration  and  envy  of  the  European  artizan." 
— Prescott's  Conquest  of  Peru,  Vol.  i,  p.  149. 


46.  THE    BOOK    UNSEALED. 

Desire  Charney  says:  "Toltecs  "^  *  had  sculp- 
tors, Mosaists,  painters,  and  smelters  of  gold  and  silver; 
and  by  means  of  molds,  knew  how  to  give  metals  every 
yariety  of  shape;  their  jewelers  and  lapidaries  could 
imitate  all  manner  of  animals,  plants,  flowers,  birds, 
etc.  Cotton  was  spun  by  the  women,  and  given  a  bril- 
liant coloring,  both  from  animal  and  mineral  sub- 
stances; it  was  manufactured  of  every  degree  of  fine- 
ness so  that  some  looked  like  muslin,  some  like 
ploth  and  some  like  velvet.  They  had  also  the  art  of 
interweaving  with  these  the  delicate  hair  of  animals  and 
birds'  feathers,  which  made  a  cloth  of  great  beauty." — 
Ancient  Cities,  p.  88. 

Fragments  of  such  cloth  were  to  be  seen  at  the 
World's  Fair.  There  are  also  some  on  exhibition  at 
the  Chamber  of  Commerce  Library,  Denver,  Colorado. 

Baldwin  in  speaking  of  the  Peruvians  says:  "They 
had  great  proficiency  in  the  arts  of  spinning,  weaving 
and  dyeing.  For  their  cloth  they  used  cotton  and 
wool  of  four  varieties  of  the  llama,  that  of  the  vicuna 
being  the  finest.  Some  of  their  cloth  had  interwoven 
designs  aad  ornaments  very  skillfully  executed.  "■'  * 
They  possessed  the  secret  of  fixing  the  dye  of  all  col- 
ors, flesh-color,  yellow,  gray,  blue,  green,  black,  etc.,  so 
firmly  in  the  thread,  or  in  the  cloth  already  woven, 
that  they  never  faded  during  the  lapse  of  ages,  even 
when  exposed  to  the  air,  or  buried  (in  tombs)  under 
the  ground.  Only  the  cotton  became  slightly  discol- 
ored, while  the  woolen  fabrics  preserved  their  primi- 
tive lustre.  It  is  a  circumstance  worth  remarking  that 
chemical  analysis  made  of  pieces  of  cloth  of  all  the 
different  dyes  prove  that  the  Peruvians  extracted  all 
their  colors  from  theyegetable  and  none  of  the  mineral 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED.  47. 

kingdom.  In  fact,  the  natives  of  the  Peruvian  moun- 
tains now  use  plants  unknown  to  Europeans,  producing 
from  them  bright  and  lasting  colors." — Ancient  Amer- 
ica, pp.  247-8. 

"The  American  nations  manufactured  woolen  and 
cotton  goods,  they  made  pottery  as  beautiful  as  the 
wares  of  Egypt.  They  manufactured  glass,  they  en- 
graved gems  and  precious  stones." — Atlantis,  p.  142. 

"In  both  continents  we  find  brick,  glassware  and 
even  porcelain." — Ibid.,  p.  350. 

Priest  mentioning  a  Mr.  Brown  says:  "He  dis- 
covered in  one  mound  an  article  of  glass,  in  form 
resembling  the  bottom  of  a  tumbler,  weighing  five 
ounces;  it  was  concave  on  both  of  its  sides.  It  is  true 
that  although  glass  is  said  not  to  have  been  found  out 
till  644  of  the  Christian  era,  yet  it  was  known  to  the 
ancient  Romans,  *  ^  Pompeii  and  Herculaneum  buried 
by  the  volcanic  eruption  of  Mount  Vesuvius.  Among 
the  vast  discoveries  '^  *  has  been  found  one  bow  win- 
dow, lighted  with  glass  of  a  green  tinge,  or  color." — 
American  Antiquities,  p.  280. 

Chambers  says:  "The  invention  of  glass  dates  from 
the  earliest  antiquity,  and  the  honor  of  its  discovery 
has  been  contested  by  several  nations.  As  the  oldest 
known  specimens  are  Egyptian,  its  invention  may  with 
great  probability  be  attributed  to  that  people."  (1445 
B.  C.) — Chambers'  Encyclopedia,  Article,  Glass. 

I  give  one  citation  of  many  in  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon which  are  amply  sustainsd  by  the  above  mentioned 
authorities  on  weaving:  "Behold  their  women  did  toil 
and  spin  and  did  make  all  manner  of  cloth  of  fine 
twined  linen,  and  cloth  of  every  kind." — Piano  Edi- 
tion, Book  of  Mormon,  p.  394. 


CHAPTER  VT. 
ISRAEL  IN  AMERICA. 

That  Israel  was  to  be  scattered  far  wider  than  the 
eastern  continent,  is  evident  from  Isaiah  ii:  ii,  12: 
'^And  It  shall  come  to  pass  that  the  Lord  shall  set  his 
hand  again  the  second  time  to  recover  the  remnant  of 
his  people  which  shall  be  left,  from  Assyria,  and  from 
Egypt,  and  from  Pathros,  and  from  Cush,  and  from 
Elam,  and  from  Shinar,  and  from  Hammath,  and  from 
tlie  islands  of  the  sea.  And  he  shall  set  up  an  ensign 
for  the  nations  and  assemble  the  outcasts  of  Israel,  and 
gather  the  dispersed  of  Judah  from  the  four  corners  of 
the  earth." 

The  liberal  mention  of  lands,  supplemented  by 
"and  from  the  islands  of  the  sea,"  covers  all  lands  in 
its  scope.  The  "ensign  for  the  nations,"  and  to  "as- 
semble the  outcasts  of  Israel,  and  gather  together  the 
dispersed  of  Judah,  from  the  four  corners  of  the  earth," 
contemplates  the  entire  earth.  The  effort  to  "recover  ' 
outcast  Israel  and  dispersed  Judah  must  occur  after  the 
year  70  A.  D.,  when  Judah  was  dispersed  and  Jerula- 
lem  destroyed. 

The  first  desolation  and  scattering  of  Israel  oc- 
curred about  590  B.  C,  when  the  power  of  Babylon 
wrought  the  complete  overthrow  of  the  Jews,  and  des- 
troyed Jerusalem  and  burned  the  magnificent  temple 
erected  by  Solomon. 


•  THE    BOOK    UNSEALED.  49. 

The  first  restoration  occurred  about  520  B.  C, 
when  their  beloved  Jerusalem  was  restored,  and  the 
temple  rebuilt,  under  the  splendid  patronagl^  and  aid 
of  Cyrus,  king  of  Persia,  the  great  ruler  of  the  east. 

The  second  desolation  and  scattering  came  in  the 
year  70  of  the  Christian  era,  when  the  famed  city, 
"beautiful  for  situation,"  and  "the  joy  of  the  whole 
earth,"  was  laid  in  ruins,  and  the  second  temple  razed 
to  the-  ground,  when  the  Jews  perished  by  pestilence, 
famine  and  war;  and  only  a  reinnant  escaped,  to  endure 
exile  and  captivity  under  the  yoke  of  the  Roman  Em- 
pire. 

The  second  restoration,  which  is  so  plainly  pre- 
dicted by  the  prophet,  can  only  occur  after  the  second 
scattering  and  exile  of  that  people;  and  therefore,  must 
have  its  fulfillment  subsequent  to  the  year  70  of  the 
Christian  era. 

The  prophet  Amos  said:  "And  I  will  plant  them 
upon  their  own  land,  and  they  shall  no  more  be  pulled 
up  out  of  their  land,  which  I  have  given  them,  saith  the 
Lord  thy  God  " — Amos  9:15. 

"My  sheep  wandered  through  all  the  mountains, 
and  upon  every  high  hill;  yea,  my  flock  was  scattered 
upon  all  the  face  of  the  earth,  and  none  did  search  or 
seek  after  them.  For  thus  sailh  the  Lord  (xod:  Behold, 
I,  even  I,  will  both  search  my  sheep  and  seek  them  out. 
As  a  shepherd  seeketh  out  his  flock,  *  *  so  will  I  seek 
out  my  sheep  *  *  out  of  all  places  *  =^  I  will  bring 
them  out  from  the  people,  and  gather  them  from  the 
countries,  and  will  bring  them  into  their  own  land." — 
Ezek.  6:  1 1,   13. 

The  above,  presents  vividly,  the  extensive  scatter- 
ing of  the  past,  and  the    complete  gathering  yet  to  be, 


50.  THE    BOOK    UNSEALED.  » 

and  Israel  being  planted  in  "their  own  land"  from 
which  they  were  ''outcast"  and  "dispersed."  Israel 
here  called  "sheep"  are  so  mentioned  by  Christ;  "Go 
not  into  the  way  ui  the  Gentiles,  and  into  any  cit}^  of 
the  Samaritans  enter  ye  not:'  But  go  rather  to  the  lost 
sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel" — Matt,  lo:  5,  6.  God, 
who  "hath  determined  the  times  before  appointed" 
and  the  ''bounds"  of  "habitation,"  gave  the  "sure 
word  of  prophecy"  portraying  the  history  of  his  chosen 
])eople,  ere  it  came  to  pass;  and  so  we  are  enabled  to 
trace  Israel,  by  ancient  promise  and  prophecy  to  the 
land  of  America. 

Genesis  48:  11-20,  relates  the  blessing  of  Joseph's 
sons,  Manasseh  and  Ephriam,  by  Jacob;  Ephriam,  the 
younger  receives  the  special,  or  "right  hand"  blessing, 
while  the  custom  was  in  favor  of  the  first  born.  Of  the 
two,  Jacob  said,  "He  [Manasseh]  also  shall  be  great, 
but  truly  his  younger  brother  shall  be  greater  than  he, 
and  his  seed  shall  become  a  multitude  of  nations  *  * 
and  he  set  Ephriam  before  Manasseh.  Genesis  49:  22- 
26,  presents  the  blessings  of  God  to  Joseph's  posterity. 
"Joseph  is  a  fruitful  bough,  even  a  fruitful  bough  by  a 
well,  whose  branches  run  over  the  wall,  [or  that  sur- 
rounding that  continent,  the  sea].  The  God  of  thy 
fathers  *  *  shall  help  thee,  *  *  the  Almight)'  *  * 
shall  bless  thee  with  blessings  of  heaven  above  [reve- 
lation]; blessings  of  the  deep  that  lieth  under:  blessings 
of  the  breast  and  of  the  womb.  The  blessings  of  thy 
father  have  prevailed  above  the  blessings  of  my  progen- 
itors unto  the  utmost  bound  [afar  off]  of  the  everlast- 
ing hills:  they  shall  be  on  the  head  of  Joseph  and  on 
the  crown  of  the  head  cf  him  that  was  separated  from 
his  brethren." 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED.  5  I. 

The  geographical  extent  of  the  lands  of  the  pro- 
genitors of  Jacob,  (Abraham  and  Isaac)  is  described 
minutely,  and  nations  mentioned  who  were  occupying 
it.  "And  the  Lord  appeared  unto  Abraham  and  said, 
Unto  thy  seed  will  I  give  this  land:  and  there  he  builded 
an  altar  unto  the  Lord,  who  appeared  unto  him." — 
Gen.  13:  15.  ''For  all  the  land  which  thou  seest,  to 
thee  will  I  give  it,  and  to  thy  seed  forever." — Gen.  12: 
7.  "In  that  same  day  the  Lord  made  a  covenant  with 
Abraham,  saying,  Unto  thy  seed  have  I  given  this  land, 
from  the  river  of  Egypt  unto  the  great  river,  the  river 
Euphrates:  The  Kennites,  Kenizzites,  *  *  Kadmon- 
ites,  *  *■  Hittites,  Perizzites,  *  *  Rephaim,  *  *  Am- 
orites,  *  *  Canaanites,  Girgashites,  *  *  and  the  Jebu- 
sites." — Gen,  15:  18-21. 

"And  I  will  give  unto  thee,  and  to  thy  seed  after 
thee,  the  land  wherein  thou  art  a  stranger,  all  the  land 
of  Canaan,  for  an  everlasting  possession,  and  I  will  be 
their  God,"--Gen.  17:  18. 

While  the  above  described  and  limited  country  was 
given  to  Abraham  and  his  seed,  to  Joseph  and  his  seed, 
God  added  that  "over  the  wall,  [sea]  unto  the  utmost 
bounds  of  the  everlasting  hills,"  or  those  farthest  away. 

Deut.  ^^:  13-17,  gives  a  description  of  Joseph's 
land.  "And  of  Joseph  he  said.  Blessed  of  the  Lord  be 
his  land,  for  the  precious  things  of  heaven,  for  the  dew 
and  the  deep  that  coucheth  beneath,  *  *  precious 
fruits  brought  forth  by  the  sun,  *  *  the  moon,  *  * 
chief  things  of  ancient  mountains,  *  *  precious  things 
of  the  lasting  hills,  and  for  the  precious  things  of  the 
earth  and  the  fullness  thereof,  and  for  the  good  will  of 
him  that  dwelt  in  the  bush,  let  the  blessings  come  upon 


52.  THE    BOOK    UNSEALED. 

the  head  of  Joseph,  and  upon  the  top  of  the  head  of 
him  that  was  separated  from  his  brethren." 

The  description  thus  given  through  Moses  of 
Joseph's  land  must  certainly  apply  to  that  land  "afar 
off"  "the  utmost  bounds  of  the  everlasting  hills," 
and  cannot  describe  that  little  strip  of  tribal  inheritance 
upon  the  coast  of  the  Mediterranean  sea.  There  was 
nothing  of  special  significance  in  the  blessing  of  the 
land  upon  the  Mediterranean,  that  such  a  glowing  and 
enlarged  statement  of  its  luxuriance  and  richness  should 
have  been  given.  "Blessed  be  his  [Joseph's]  land  for 
the  precious  things  of  heaven  above."  This  we  under- 
stand to  be  revelation  from  God. 

Now  we  ask,  What  special  blessing  of  God  did 
Joseph  receive  in  his  first  or  tribal  inheritance?  We 
know  of  none.  But  after  going  over  and  beyond  the 
sea,  or  "wall"  as  the  prophet  describes  it,  their  record, 
the  Book  of  Mormon,  tells  us  that  God  in  his  loving 
kindness  and  eternal  wisdom,  gave  to  them  the  revela- 
tion of  his  will  concerning  them  from  time  to  time. 
The  land  of  America  will  certainly  do  justice  to  the 
splendid  description  of  Joseph's  land  given  by  the 
prophet.  For  this  is  a  choice  land  above  all  other 
lands  of  the  earth;  varied  in  its  richness  of  climate,  of 
soil,  of  mineral  resources,  abounding  in  all  things  the 
heart  could  desire,  from  the  ice-bound  regions  to  those 
of  the  tropics,  affording  almost  all  the  fruits  of  the 
earth.  All  of  these  things  point  to  the  Western  conti- 
nent as  Joseph's  land.  This  theory  is  supported  by  the 
following  texts:  "O  vine  of  Sibmah,  I  will  weep,  for 
thee  with  the  weeping  of  Jazer;  thy  plants  are  gone 
over  the  sea." — Jer.  48:32.  "For  the  fields  of  Hesh- 
bon  languish,  and  the  vine  of  Sibmah;  the  lords  of  the 


THK    BOOK    UNSEALED.  53. 

heathen  have  broken  down  the  principal  plants  thereof 
*  *  they  have   gone  over  the  sea." — Isaiah  i6:  18. 

As  identifying  the  ''vine  of  Sibmah,"  "whose  plants 
are  gone  over  the  sea,"  "for  of  old  time  have  I  broken 
thy  yoke,  and  burst  thy  bands." — Jer.  2:  20.  This 
clearly  describes  the  freeing  of  Israel  from  Egyptian 
bondage,  as  does  alsoi  "Thou  hast  brought  a  vine  out 
of  Egypt,  thou  hast  cast  out  the  heathen  and  planted 
it." — Ps.  80:  8.  Joseph's  posterity,  the  "branches  of 
the  fruitful  bough,"  which  were  to  "run  over  the  wall;" 
the  plants  of  the  "vine  of  Sibmah,"  are,  without  doubt, 
of  Israel. 

Now  if  they  went  over  the  sea,  or  "wall,"  as  the 
prophet  termed  it,  where  did  they  go?  What  other 
land  save  the  Western  Continent  can  fulfill  the  terms  of 
prophetic  description,  as  given  by  Moses?  We  know 
of  none.  Surely  it  is  not  found  in  Europe,  or  among 
the  nations  of  Asia.  Here  was  the  land,  "choice  above 
all  other  lands."  • 

Besides  this  evidence  of  a  portion  of  Israel  emi- 
grating from  the  eastern  to  the  western  continent  is  the 
warning  of  the  Prophet  Jeremiah,  disclosing  King  Neb- 
uchadnezzar's "purpose,"-  and  the  warning  of  God,  com- 
manding them  to  flee.  "Flee,  get  you  far  off;  dwell 
deep,  [go  secretly,  unobserved],  O  ye  inhabitants  of 
Hazor,  saith  the  Lord,  for  Nebuchadnezzar  hath  taken 
counsel  against  you,  and  hath  conceived  a  purpose 
against  you.  x\rise,  get  you  up  unto  the  wealthy  na- 
tion, that  dwelleth  without  care  saith  the  Lord,  which 
have  neither  gates  nor  bars,  which  dwell  alone.  And 
their  camels  shall  be  a  booty,  and  the  multitude  of  their 
"cattle   a  spoil,  and    I  will  scatter   into   all  winds   them 


54-  'i'HE    BOOK    UNSEALED. 

that  are  in  'the  utmost  corners,  and  I  will  bring  their 
calamity  from  all  sides  thereof,  saith  the  Lord." — Jer. 
49:30-32. 

The  following  points  are  prominent:  First,  l^hey 
were  to  "flee;"  "get  >ou  far  off;"  "dwell  deep;''  (go 
unobserved).  Second,  They  were  to  go  to  a  "wealthy 
nation  that  dwelleth  without  care,"  one  occupying  a 
land  "alone,"  and,  therefore,  had  neither  "gates  nor 
bars'  to  keep  away  others,  as  was  the  case  upon  the 
eastern  continent.  Third,  'I'he  camels  of  the  "wealthy 
nation"  were  to  be  a  "booty;"  "the  multitude  of  their 
cattle  a  spoil."  Fourth,  Those  by  whom  the  "booty" 
and  the  "spoiT'  should  be  left,  were  to  be  "scattered  to 
all  winds,"  carried  away,  obliterated,  become  extinct; 
"them  that  are  in  the  utmost  corners"  their  "calamity" 
was  to  "come  from  all  sides;"  such  was  the  case  with 
the  Jaredite  nation  in  every  point.  They  were  "afar 
off,"  "wealthy,"  "dwelt  alone,"  without  gates  or  bars; 
having  grown  wicked,  were  in  a  continual  war,  for  the 
last-battle  of  which  the  armies  were  four  years  in  gath- 
ering, and  in  which  their  extinction  was  accomplished. 
(See  close  of  Book  of  Esther,  Book  of  Mormon.) 

The  Nephites  wrote:  "And  we  did  find  upon  the 
land  of  promise  as  we  iourneyed  in  the  wilderness,  that 
there  were  beasts  in  the  forests  of  every  kind,  both  the 
cow,  and  the  ox,  and  the  ass,  and  the  horse,  and  the 
goat,  and  the  wild  goat,  and  all  manner  of  wild  ani- 
mals, which  were  for  the  use  of  men,  and  we  did  find 
all  manner  of  ore,  both  of  gold,  silver  and  of  copper." 
— Book  of  Mormon,  p.  43. 

When  the  Book  of  Mormon  was  published,  the 
horse  in  particular,  as  also  other  of  the  domestic  ani- 
mals, was  supposed    not  to  have  been  on  the  Western 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED.  55. 

Coniinent  until  brought  by  the  Spaniards  ''In  North 
America  *  *  in  the  Champlain  period  there  wrere  great 
elephants,  and  mastodons,  oxen,  horses,  stags,  beaver, 
and  some  edentates  in  quarternary  North  America,  un- 
surpassed by  any  in  the  world." — Text  Book  of  Ge- 
ology, J.  D.  Dana,  L.  L.  D.,  p.  325. 

The  Marquis  de  Naidaillac  says:  "It  is  the  same 
in  America,  animals  of  the  equine  race  that  were  so 
numerous  in  early  geologic  times,  had  long  since  dis- 
appeared on  the  arrival  of  the  Spaniards." — Prehistoric 
Peoples,  p.  158. 

Prof.  F.  V.  Hayden,  U.  S.  Surveyor,  Report  1873: 
''The  skeleton,  which  I  excavated  with  my  own  hands 
from  the  side  of  a  bluff,  adds  considerably  to  our 
knowledge  of  this  genus  of  horses." — Page  524. 

Speaking  of  the  Aceratherium,  Megalodus  says: 
*'This  large  species  and  the  A.  Crassus  Leidy,  were 
very  abundant  during  the  Pliocftie  period  in  Western 
North  America.  Their  remains  are  everywhere  min- 
gled with  those  of  horses  and  camels." — Page  520. 

The  American  Encyclopedia  says:  "Its  fossil  re- 
mains, chiefly  molar  teeth,  have  been  so  frequently 
found,  especially  in  the  southern  and  western  states  and 
in  Sputh  America,  and  have  been  so  carefully  examined 
by  competent  palaeontologists,  that  no  doubt  can  re- 
main of  the  former  existence  of  the  horse  in  the  west- 
ern world.  *  *  Prof.  Leidy  says  there  is  no  room  to 
doubt  the  former  existence  of  the  horse  on  the  Amer- 
ican continent,  at  the  same  time  with  the  mastodon,  and 
that  'man  probably  was  his  companion,'" — See  article 
Horse. 

Prof.  Alexander  Winchell  says:  "I  have  myself 
observed  the  bones  of  the  mastodon  and  elephant  im- 


56.  THE    BOOK    UNSEALED. 

bedded  in  peat  at  depths  so  shallow  that  I  could  readi- 
ly believe  the  animals  to  have  occupied  the  country 
during  its  possession  by  the  Indians,  and  gave  publica- 
tion to  this  conviction  in  1862.  More  recently,  Prof. 
Holmes,  of  Charleston,  has  informed  the  Academy  of 
Natural  Science  of  Philadelphia,  that  he  finds  upon  the 
banks  of  the  Ashley  river  a  remarkable  conglomeration 
of  fossil  remains  in  deposit  of  post-tertiary  age.  Re- 
mains of  the  hog,  horse  and  other  animals  of  recent 
date,  together  with  human  bones,  stone  arrow-heads, 
hatchets  and  fragments  of  pottery,  are  there  lying  min- 
gled with  the  bones  of  the  mastodon  and  extinct 
gigantic  lizards.  Cotemporary  with  these  American 
animals,  but  not  yet  found  associated  in  their  remains 
with  the  relics  of  the  human  species,  lived  in  North 
America  horses  much  larger  than  the  existing  species, 
grazing  in  company  with  wild  oxen  and  herds  of  bison 
and  shrub-loving  taj^rs.  The  streams  were  dammed 
by  the  labors  of  gigantic  beavers,  while  the  forests  af- 
forded a  range  for  a  species  of  hog,  and  a  grateful  dwell- 
ing place  for  numerous  edentate  quadrupeds  related  to 
the  sloth,  but  of  gigantic  proportions."" — Sketches  of 
Creation,  pp.  356-7. 

"It  is  a  curious  fact  that  so  many  genera,  now  ex- 
tinct from  the  continent,  but  living  in  other  quarters  of 
the  globe,  were  once  abundant  on  the  plain«  of  North 
America.  Various  species  of  the  horse  have  dwelt 
here  for  ages,  and  the  question  reasonably  arises 
whether  the  wild  horses  of  the  Pampas  may  not  have 
been  indigenous.  Here,  too,  the  camel  found  a  suita- 
ble home." — Ibid.,  p.  210. 

"Recent  discoveries  in  the  fossil  beds  of  the  Bad 
Lands  of   Nebraska  prove  that   the   horse  originated  in 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED.     *  57. 

America.  Professor  Marsh,  of  Yale  College,  has  identi- 
fied the  several  preceding  forms  from  which  it  was  de- 
veloped, rising,  in  the  course  of  ages,  from  a  creature 
not  larger  than  a  fox  until,  by  successive  steps,  it  de- 
veloped in  the  true  horse.  *  *  The  fossil  remains 
of  the  camel  are  found  in  India,  Africa,  South  Amer- 
ica and  in  Kansas.  The  existing  alpacas  and  llamas 
of  South  America  are  but  varieties  of  the  camel  fam- 
ily.''— Atlantis,  p    54-5- 

Desire  Charney  believes  that  he  has  found  in  the 
ruiiis  of  Tula  the  bones  of  "swine  and  sheep"  '"in  a  fos- 
sil state,  indicating  an    immense   antiquity."-  Ibid.,  p. 

Of  four  varieties  of  the  Peruvian  sheep,  the  llama, 
the  one  most  familiarly  known,  is  the  least  valuable  on 
account  of  its  wool." — Prescott's  Conquest  of  Peru, 
Vol.   I,  p.  147. 

In  The  Youth's  Companion  of  March  30th,  1882, 
is  the  following  article:  "The  Mastodon  a  Recent 
Animal. — It  has  been  common  with  a  class  of  scientists 
to  class  the  mastodon  among  animals  which  became 
extinct  many  ages  ago.  And  as  the  bones  of  men  and 
extinct  species  of  animals  have  been  found  mingled 
together,  it  was  inferred  that  man  may  have  had  a  re- 
mote antiquity,  reaching  back  a  hundred  thousand 
years  or  more.  But  the  following  facts  from  Prof. 
Collett's  Geological  Report  of  Indiana,  go  to  show 
that  the  mastodon  disappeared  at  a  quite  recent  period. 
A  skeleton  was  discovered  in  excavating  the  bed  of  the 
canal  a  few  miles  north  of  Covington,  in  wet  peat. 
The  teeth  are  in  good  preservation,  and  when  the 
larger  bones  were  cut  open,  the  marrow^  still  preserved, 
was  utilized  by  the  bog  cutters  to  "grease"  their  boots. 


58.  '     THE    BOOK    UNSEALED. 


Pieces  of  sperm-like  substance,  two  and  a  half  or  three 
inches  in  diameter,  occupied  the  place  of  the  kidney- 
fat  of  the  monster.  During  the  summer  of  1880,  an  al- 
most complete  skeleton  of  a  mastodon  was  found  in 
Illinois  which  must  have  survived  until  the  vegetation 
of  to-day  prevailed.  The  tusks  formed  each  a  full 
quarter  of  a  circle;  were  nine  feet  long,  twenty-two 
inches  in  circumference  at  the  base,  and  weighed  one 
hundred  and  seventy  pounds.  The  lower  jaw  was  well 
preserved  with  a  full  set  of  magnificent  teeth,  and  is 
nearly  three  feet  long.  On  inspecting  the  remains 
closely,  a  mass  of  fibrous,  bark-like  material,  was  found 
between  the  ribs,  filling  the  place  of  the  animal's 
stomach.  When  carefully  separated,  it  proved  to  be  a 
crushed  mass  of  herbs  and  grasses,  similar  to  those 
which  still  grow  in  the  vicinity.  In  the  same  bed  of 
miry  clay  a  multitude  of  small  fresh-water  and  land 
shells  were  observed.  These  mollusks  prevail  all  over 
the  State  of  Illinois,  Indiana,  and  parts  of  Michigan, 
and  show  conclusively  that  the  animal  and  vegetable 
life,  and  consequently  climate,  are  the  same  now  as 
when  this  mastodon  sank  in  his  grave  of  mire  and 
clay." 

From  Independent  Patriot,  November  20,  1890: 
The  skeleton  of  a  mastodon  found  at  Higate,  forty 
miles  west  of  St.  Thomas,  Canada,  is  on  exhibition  in 
that  town.  The  area  of  the  graves  where  the  monster's 
bones  were  found  is  thirty-five  by  twenty-on^  feet. 
bones  were  scattered  over  it,  one  joint  fitting  into  the 
other  in  a  bed  of  gray  merl  about  six  feet  below  the 
rface.  Over  the  merl  is  a  thick  layer  of  black, 
loamy  soil.  The  length  of  the  animal,  gauged  by  the 
measurements  of  the  bones  already  found,  and  allowing 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED.  59. 

for  those  that  have  not  yet  been  discovered,  is,  from 
the  point  of  the  nostril  to  the  root  of  the  tail,  about 
twenty-one  feet.  This  is  greater  than  that  of  the  cele- 
brated "'Mastodon  giganteu^""  discovered  near  New- 
burg,  N.  Y.,  in  the  summer  of  1845,  ^^^  ^^^^  skeleton, 
as  a  whole,  is  larger  and  more  complete  than  any  that 
have  been  found  in  Kentucky,  Ohio,  Missouri,  Cali- 
fornia or  Oregon. — Scientific  American. 

Prof.  VVm.  Larrabee,  A.  M.,  in  '"Lectures  on  the 
Scientific  Evidence  of  Natural  and  Revealed  Religion," 
says:  "'The  Mastodon  was  a  native  of  North  America. 
He  resembled  the  elephant,  but  was  much  larger."  — 
p.  312. 

In  the  Chicago  Times  for  April  26,  1882,  was  the 
following  concerning  the  elephants  of  Ancient  America: 
"Jumbo  wasn't  a  circumstance  to  the  elephants  that 
used  to  stamp  around  this  country." 

Priest  in  his  American  Antiquities  says  of  skeleton 
of    Mastodon   in    Philadelphia    Museum:      The  ribs  are. 
six  inches  in  width,  and  in  thickness  three.      The  whole 
skeleton  as  it  is,   with   the  exception  of  a  few  bones, 
weighs  one  thousand  pounds." — p.  151. 

Of  another  skeleton  discovered  in  Louisiana,  on 
the  Mississippi:  "The  largest  bone,  which  was  thought 
to  be  the  shoulder-blade,  or  jaw  bone,  is  twenty  feet 
long,  three  broad,  and  weighed  one  thousand  two  hun- 
dred pounds." — Ibid.,  p.  155. 

In  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  Library  at  Denver, 
Colorado,  may  be  seen  and  labeled  thus:  "Tooth  of 
Prehistoric  Elephant,  unearthed  in  1871,  Corner  Lari- 
mee  and  Sixteenth  streets;  weight  twenty-one  pounds." 


6o.  THK    BOOK    UNSEALED. 

Another  relic  labcletl:  "Portion  of  tusk  of  Mammoth, 
found  in  Douglas  county;  the  total  length  of  tusk  when 
found,  eleven  feet." 

"We  know  that  the  equine  type  of  quadrupeds  ex- 
isted in  America  from  the  period  of  the  Eocene.  We 
are  in  fact,  acquainted  with  twenty  one  species  of  horse- 
like animals,  and  the  genus  of  true  horses  has  been 
traced  down  to  the  times  preceding  the  present." — 
Prof.  A.  Winchell,  Chancellor,  Syracuse  University, 
Evolution,  p.  82. 

Prof.  Cooper,  in  a  lecture  1875,  ^^  ^^^  Francisco, 
said  that  during  the  "Pliocene  epoch"  in  California, 
''through  the  luxuriant  forests  roamed  a  llama  as  large 
as  a  bactrian  camel;  herds  of  huge  buffalo  disported  in 
the  meadows  along  with  wild  horses  of  a  giant  race."  f 

"In  the  later  fauna  were  the  remains  of  a  number 
of  species  of  extinct  camels,  one  of  which  was  of  the  size 
of  the  Arabian  camel,  and  a  second  about  two-thirds 
as  large;  also  a  smaller  one.  *  *  Although  no  horses 
were  known  to  exist  on  this  continent  prior  to  its  dis- 
covery by  Europeans,  yet  Dr.  Leidy  has  shown  that 
before  the  age  of  man,  this  was  emphatically  the  coun- 
try of  horses.  Dr.  Leidy  has  reported  twenty- seven 
species  of  the  horse  family  which  are  known  to  have 
lived  on  this  continent  prior  to  the  advent  of  man." — 
U.  S.  Surveyor,  F.  V.  Hayden's  Great  West,  p.  44- 

The  Book  of  Mormon  mentions  two  large,  very 
large  animals,  classing  them  with  the  elephant.  The 
statement  as  found  in  Chambers'  Encyclopedia,  Vol.  6, 
Article  Mastodon,  is  therefore  full  of  significance: 
"Eleven  or  twelve  species  have  been  described  from 
the  Miocene,  Pliocene  and  Pleistocene  strata  in  Eu- 
rope, Asia  and  America." 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED.  6l. 

Of  the  third  and  smaller  number  of  people  who 
migrated  to  the  western  continent,  it  is  recorded  on 
page  137,  Book  of  Mormon,  that  they  came  from  Jeru- 
salem when  Zedekiah,  who  was  afterward  carried  cap- 
tive into  Babylon,  was  king  of  Judah.  Of  this  people 
the  prophet  Ezekiel  says:  "Thus  saith  the  Lord  God, 
I  will  also  take  the  highest  branch  of  the  high  cedar, 
and  will  set  it;  I  will  crop  off  from  the  top  of  his  young 
twigs  a  tender  one,  and  will  plant  it  upon  a  high  moun- 
tain and  eminent.  In  the  mountain  of  the  height  of 
Israel  will  I  plant  it;  and  it  shall  bring  forth  boughs, 
and  bear  fruit,  and  be  a  goodly  cedar;  and  under  it 
shall  dwell  all  fowl  of  every  wing;  in  the  shadow  of  the 
branches  thereof  shall  they  dwell"    -Ezek.  ry:  22,  23. 

First,  King  Zedekiah  was  of  Israel.  Second, 
Those  taken  from  his  household  were  to  be  planted  in 
the  "mountain  of  the  height  of  Israel,"  where  a  gov- 
ernment would  arise  in  which  could  "dwell"  all  "fowl 
of  every  wing,"  or  men  from  all  the  races,  as  is  the 
case  in  America. 

The  Prophet  Isaiah,  describes  in  a  graphic  manner 
the  Western  Continent:  "Woe  to  the  land  shadowing 
with  wings,  which  is  beyond  the  rivers  of  Ethiopia." — 
Isaiah  18:  i. 

First,  The  American  continent  is  in  the  form  of  a 
pair  of  wings.  Second,  It  lies  west,  or  beyond  the 
rivers  of  Ethiopia,  from  where  the  prophet  had  his 
abode,  at  Jerusalem. 

Zephaniah  3:  10,  "From  beyond  the  rivers  of 
Ethiopia  my  suppliants,  even  the  daughters  of  my  dis- 
persed, shall  bring  mine  offering."  This  text  presents 
the  people  of   the  western   land,  or  that   land  "beyond 


62.  THE    BOOK    UNSEALED. 

the  rivers  of  Ethiopia,"  bringing  offering,  which  sup- 
ports all  that  is  claimed  in  the  foregoing  chapter  in  re- 
gard to  the  location  of  Israel. 

For  Joseph,  whose  posterity  was  to  come  to  the 
Western  Continent,  as  hitherto  shown,  there  was  to  be 
a  record.  "The  word  of  the  Lord  came  again  unto 
me,  saying,  Moreover,  thou  son  of  man,  take  thee  one 
stick,  and  write  upon  it,  for  Judah,  and  for  the  children 
of  Israel  his  companions;  then  take  another  stick,  and 
write  upon  it,  for  Joseph,  the  stick  of  Ephraim,  and 
for  all  the  house  of  Israel  his  companions:  And  join 
them  one  to  another  into  one  stick;  and  they  shall  be- 
come one  in  thine  hand.  And  when  the  children  of 
thy  people  shall  speak  unto  thee,  saying.  Wilt  thou  not 
show  us  what  thou  meanest  by  these.-*  Say  unto  them. 
Thus  saith  the  Lord  God;  Behold,  I  will  take  the  stick 
of  Joseph,  which  is  in  the  hands  of  Ephraim,  and  the 
tribes  of  Israel  his  fellows,  and  will  put  them  with  him, 
even  with  the  stick  of  Judah,  and  make  them  one  stick, 
and  they  shall  be  one  in  mine  hand." — Ezek.  37:  15-19. 

First,  there  is  to  be  a  stick  (record)  for  '"Judah" 
and  "Israel  his  companions."  Second,  "Another  stick" 
(record)  for  "Joseph  in  the  hand  of  Ephraim,  and 
Israel  his  companions."  Third,  They  are  to  be  joined 
"one  to  another,"  and  thus  made  companion  volumes. 
Fourth,  God  was  to  put  the  stick  (record)  in  the  hand 
of  Ephraim  with  that  of  Judah,  which,  in  the  preserva- 
tion of  the  records  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  and  their 
translation  was  fulfilled.  Fifth,  Ephraim's  pre-emi- 
nence, as  shown  in  his  blessing,  is  clearly  brought  to 
light,  in  his  possession  of  the  "stick  of  Joseph,"  and 
"Joseph's  land."  The  Western  Continent  is  therefore 
provided  with   its   record,   as  was  the  eastern,  with  the 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED.  63. 

record  of  God's    dealings   with   his   people   upon   that 
land. 

The  prophet  says:  "I  have  written  to  him  the 
great  things  of  my  law,  but  they  were  accounted  as  a 
strange  thing." — Hosea  8:  12. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

HEBREW  RELICS,   CUSTOMS  AND   LANGUAGE 

IN  AMERICA. 

Bancroft  says:  "The  theory  that  the  Americans 
are  of  Jewish  descent  has  been  discussed  more  minutely 
and  at  greater  length  than  any  other.  Its  advocates, 
or  at  least  those  of  them  who  have  made  original  re- 
searches, are  comparatively  few,  but  the  extent  of  their 
investigations  and  the  multitude  of  parallelisms  they 
adduce  in  support  of  their  hypothesis  exceed  by  far  any- 
thing that  we  have  yet  encountered." — Native  Races, 
Vol.  5,  pp.  77-8. 

Mr.  George  Catline  says:  "I  believe  with  many 
others  that  the  North  American  Indians  are  a  mixed 
people;  that  they  have  Jewish  blood  in  their  veins, 
though  I  would  not  assert,  as  some  have  undertaken  to 
prove,  that  they  are  Jews,  or  that  they  are  the  "ten  lost 
tribes"  of  Israel.  From  the  character  and  composition 
of  their  heads,  I  am  compelled  to  look  upon  them  as  an 
amalgam  race,  but  still  savages,  and  from  many  of  their 
customs,  which  seem  to  me  peculiarly  Jewish,  as  well 
as  from  the  character  of  their  heads,  I  am  forced  to 
believe  that  some  part  of  those  ancient  tribes  who  have 
been  dispersed  by  Christians  in  so  many  ways,  and  in 
so  many  different  eras,  have  found  their  way  to  this 
country    where    they   have   entered    among  the    native 


64.  THE    BOOK    UNSEALED. 

Stock.  I  am  led  to  believe  this  from  the  very  many 
customs  which  I  have  witnessed  among  them,  that  ap- 
pear to  be  decidedly  Jewish,  and  many  of  them  so 
peculiarly  so,  that  it  would  seem  almost  impossible,  or, 
at  all  events,  exceedingly  improbable,  that  two  peoples 
in  a  state  of  nature  should  have  hit  upon  them  and 
practiced  them  exactly  alike.  The  first  and  most 
striking  fact  among  the  North  American  Indians  that 
refers  us  to  the  Jews,  is  that  of  their  worshiping  in  all 
parts,  the  "Great  Spirit,"  or  Jehovah,  as  the  Jew^s  were 
ordered  to  do  by  divine  precept,  instead  of  a  plurality 
of  gods,  as  ancient  pagans  and  heathens  did,  and  the 
idols  of  their  ov\n  formation."— Catlin's  North  Amer- 
ican. Indians,  p.  232. 

Mr.  Catlin  then  offers  "twelve  reasons"  why  he  ac- 
cepted the  idea  that  the  American  Indians  are  descend- 
ants from  the  Israelites  in  some  way,  and  as  his  in- 
vestigations contain  many  facts  which  enter  into  this 
discussion,  I  offer  them  for  consideration:  First,  "The 
Jews  had  their  sanctum  sanctorum,  and  so  it  may  be 
said  the  Indians  have,  in  their  council  or  medicine 
houses,  which  are  alwa)'s  held  as  sacred  places."  Sec- 
ond, "x'\s  the  Jews  had,  they  have  their  high  priests 
and  their  prophets."  Third,  "Among  the  Indians,  as 
among  the  ancient  Hebrews,  the  women  are  not  allowed 
to  worship  with  the  men,  and  in  all  cases  also  they  eat 
separately."  Fourth,  "The  Indians  everywhere  believe 
that  they  are  certainly  like  those  ancient  people,  perse- 
cuted, as  every  man's  hand  seems  to  be  raised  against 
them."  Fifth,  "In  their  marriages,  the  Indians,  as  did 
the  ancient  Jews,  uniformly  buy  their  wives  by  giving 
presents,  and  in  many  tribes,  very  closely  resemble 
them  in  other  forms  and  ceremonies  of  their  marriages." 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED.  65. 

Sixth,  "In  their  prep>--ration  for  war,  and  in  peace- 
making, they  are  strikingly  similar."  Seventh,  "In  their 
treatment  of  the  sick,  burial  of  the  dead,  and  mourn- 
ing, they  are  also  similar."  Eighth,  "In  their  bathing 
and  ablutions,  at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  as  a  part  of 
their  religious  observances  — having  separate  places  for 
men  and  women  to  perform  these  immersions — they  re- 
semble again."  Ninth,  "The  customs  among  women  of 
absenting  themselves  during  the  lunar  influences,  is  ex- 
actly consonant  to  the  Mosaic  law."  Tenth,  "After  this 
season  of  separation,  purification  in  running  water  and 
annointing,  precisely  in  accordance  with  the  Jewish 
command,  is  required  before  she  can  enter  the  family 
lodge."  Eleventh,  "Many  of  them  have  a  feast  close- 
ly resembling  the  annual  feast  of  the  Jewish  Passover, 
and  amongst  others,  an  occasion  much  like  the  Israel- 
itish  feast  of  the  Tabernacle,  which  lasted  eight  days 
(when  history  tells  us  they  carried  bundles  of  wil- 
low bows  and  fasted  several  days  and  nights)  making 
sacrifices  of  the  first  fruits  and  best  of  everything, 
closely  resembling  the  sin  offering  of  the  Hebrews. 
(See  the  history  in  Vol.  i,  pp.  159-170  of  Religious 
Ceremonies  of  the  Mandarins)."  Twelfth,  "Amongst^ 
the  list  of  their  customs,  however,  we  meet  a  number 
which  had  their  origin,  it  would  seem,  in  the  Jewish 
ceremonial  code,  and  which  are  so  very  peculiar  in  their 
forms  that  it  would  seem  quite  improbable,  and  almost 
impossible,  that  two  different  peoples  should  have  hit 
upon  them  alike,  without  some  knowledge  of  each  other. 
These,  I  consider,  go  farther  than  anything  else,  as  evi- 
dence, and  carry,  in  my  mind,  conclusive  proof  that 
these  people  are  tinctured  with  Jewish  blood." — Ibid., 
Vol.  2,  pp  232-235. 


66.  THE    BOOK    UNSEALED. 

Joseph  Merrick  gave  the  following  account,  that  in 
1815  he  was  leveling  some  ground  *  *  situated  on 
Indian  Hill  *  *  discovered  *  *  a  black  strap,  *  *  threw 
it  into  an  old  tool  box,  *  *  later  found  it,  *  *  was 
formed  of  two  pieces  of  thick  raw  hide,  sewed  and  made 
water-tight,  with  sinews  of  some  animal,  and  gummed 
over  *  *  in  the  fold  was  contained  four  pieces  of 
parchment.  They  were  of  a  dark  yellow  hue  and  con- 
tained some  kind  of  writing.  The  neighbors  *  *  tore 
one  of  the  pieces  to  atoms,  *  *  the  other  three  pieces 
Mr.  Merrick  saved  and  sent  them  to  Cambridge  where 
they  were  examined  and  discovered  to  have  been  writ- 
ten by  a  pen  in  Hebrew,  plain  and  legible.  The  writing 
on  the  remaining  pieces  of  parchment  was  quotations 
from  the  Old  Testament." — Ibid.,  p.  93. 

Mr.  A.  A.  Bancroft  thus  describes  a  relic:  "A  slab 
of  stone  of  "hard  and  fine  quality,  an  inch  and  a  half 
thick,  eight  inches  long,  four  and  a  half  inches  wide  at 
one  end,  and  tapering  to  three  at  the  other.  Upon  the 
face  of  the  slab  was  the  figure  of  a  man,  apparently  a 
priest,  with  a  flowing  beard  and  a  robe  reaching  to  his 
feet.  Over  his  head  was  a  curved  line  of  characters, 
and  upon  the  edge  and  back  of  the  stone  were  closely 
and  neatly  carved  letters.  The  slab,  which  I  saw  my- 
self, was  shown  to  the  Episcopalian  clergyman  of  New- 
ark, and  he  pronounced  the  writing  to  be  the  Ten  Com- 
mandments in  ancient  Hebrew." — Antiquities  of  Lick- 
ing Co.,  Ohio.,  or  Bancroft,  Vol.  5,  p.  95. 

The  following  is  a  representation  of  the  supposed 
"key  stone,"  found  29th  of  June,  i860,  (near  Newark^ 
Ohio,  by  D.  Wyrick):  "This  stone  is  in  the  shape  and 
size  represented  by  the  cuts,  and  has  upon  each  of  the 
four  sides  a  Hebrew  inscription   in  the  Hebrew  charac- 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED.  67. 

ter,  which  when  translated  reads:  'The  King  of  the 
earth;'  'The  word  of  the  Lord;'  'The  laws  of  Jehovah;' 
'The  Holy  of  Holies  '  Another  stone,  'encased  in  a  stone 
box  buried  some  twenty  feet  in  the  earth  *  *  was  found 
on  the  first  of  November,  185  i,'  has  'four  cuts  on  its  four 
sides,'  *  *  with  the  characters  on  each  side,  the  Eng- 
lish of  which  appears  to  be  an  abridgement  of  the  Ten 
Commandments.  The  translation  was  given  by  J.  W. 
McCarty.  The  word  'Moses'  and  the  statement  'Who 
brought  them  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,'  *  *  appears 
above  an  image  on  the  stone." — Pamphlet  entitled  "A 
representation  of  the  two  stones  with  the  characters  in- 
scribed upon  them,  one  found  by  D.  Wyrick  during 
the  summer  of  •i860,  near  Newark,  Ohio." 

Of  four  stones  and  Rev.  Miller's  lecture  on  relics 
found  in  Ohio,  Elder  Josiah  Ellis,  of  Pittsburgh,  Pa., 
wrote  to  the  Herald  in  1866,  the  following:  "Rev.  R. 
M.  Miller,  lecturing  in  the  First  Presbyterian  church, 
Alleghany,  Pa.,  on  relics  found  near  Newark,  Ohio, 
containing  Hebrew  inscriptions,  exhibited  a  photograph 
of  a  stone  head,  on  the  forehead  of  which  was  written 
in  Hebrew,  'May  the  Lord  have  mercy  on  an  untimely 
birth.'  The  original  was  owned  by  Mr.  Tenant,  of 
Newark,  Ohio.  Another  relic  owned  by  Mr.  Strock, 
of  Newark,  contained  in  Hebrew:  'It  is  good  to  love 
the  aged;'  and,  'The  heart  is  deceitful.'  A  third  relic, 
in  the  shape  of  a  wedge,  had  on  its  respective  four  sides 
in  Hebrew:  'The  Lord  is  king  of  all  the  earth;'  'The 
sword  of  the  Lord  is  the  law;'  'The  Holy  of  Holies;' 
'The  jew  of  life  is  the  Lord  awakening  souls.'  A  fourth, 
called  a  Teraphim  or  household  god  by  Mr.  Miller, 
(he  quoted  Judges,  17th  chapter,  to  prove  it),  was  eight 
inches  long,  three  wide  and  two  thick,  having  a  depres- 


68.  THE    BOOK    UNSEALED. 

sion  on  one  side  half  an  inch  deep,  in  which  was  carved 
a  figure  of  a  man  dressed  in  priestly  robes,  over  the 
head  the  word  Moses,  on  the  back  and  edges  was  the 
Ten  Commandmenis.  This  Teraphim  was  found  by 
digging  into  a  very  large  mound,  two  and  a  half  miles 
from  Newark,  Ohio,  at  some  depth,  and  in  a  stone  box, 
in  i860,  and  was  owned  by  David  Johnson,  of  Coshoc- 
ton, Ohio. 

"The  Rev.  Miller  seemed  a  good  Hebrew  scholar  as 
he  read  and  criticised  the  language  in  the  presence  of 
several  of  the  theological  professors  of  the  Presbyterian 
college  of  Alleghany  City.  He  stated  that  he  had 
shown  them  to  several  learned  Rabbis,  and  they  were 
agreed  that  the  Hebrew  characters  wertf  of  a  date  be- 
yond  Ezra. 

"Mr.  Miller  described  on  a  black-board,  the  differ- 
ence of  formation  of  the  letters  before  and  after  that 
period.  His  conclusions  were:  First,  That  some  of  the 
tribes  or  parts  of  tribes  of  Israel  had  once  inhabited 
this  land;   Second,  That  they  were  Mound  Builders." 

Of  these  stones  or  similar  ones,  "The  Prophetic 
Watchman"  of  September  14th,  1866,  said:  "We  are 
all  more  or  less  acquainted  with  the  so-called  'Indian 
Mounds,'  found  in  various  parts  of  our  country.  *  * 
For  centuries  it  has  been  a  most  interesting  subject  of 
inquiry  as  to  who  built  these  mounds  and  whence  came 
their  builders.  Within  the  last  few  years  some  relics 
have  been  discovered  which  are  thought  to  throw  light 
upon  the  subject.  The  first  is  a  little  coarse  sand  stone, 
not  quite  an  inch  and  a  half  high  by  two  inches  long. 
It  was  found  in  the  'Wilson  Mound'  and  bears  the  face 
of  a  human  being.  On  the  forehead  are  five  distinct 
Hebrew    characters,    which    are    interpreted    to    mean 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED       .  69. 

'May  the  Lord  have  mercy  on  him  (or  me)  an  untime- 
ly birth,'  evidently  an  expression  of  humiliation.  The 
second  relic  from  the  same  mound  is  a  stone  closely 
resembling  lime  stone.  It  is  rather  triangular  than 
square  in  its  form,  and  yet  differs  widely  from  both. 
It  represents  an  animal,  and  contains  four  human  faces 
and  three  inscriptions  in  Hebrew,  signifying  devotion, 
reverence  and  natural  depravity.  The^third  stone  was 
found  in  i860,  about  three  miles  from  Newark.  It  is 
shaped  like  a  wedge  and  is  about  six  inches  long,  taper- 
ing at  the  end.  On  one  end  is  a  handle  and  at  the  top 
are  four  Hebrew  inscriptions.  The  last  relic  is  an  ob- 
ject of  much  interest;  it  was  found  in  i860,  and  has 
engraved  upon  it,  Moses  and  the  Ten  Commandments. 
One  side  is  depressed  and  the  reverse  protrudes.  Over 
the  figure  is  a  Hebrew  word  signifying  Moses.  The 
other  inscriptions  are  almost  literally  the  words  found 
in  some  parts  of  the  Bible,  and  the  Ten  Commandments 
are  given  in  part  and  entirely,  the  longest  being  abbre- 
viated. The  alphabet  used,  it  is  thought,  is  the  original 
Hebrew  one,  as  there  are  letters  not  known  in  the  He- 
brew alphabet  now  in  use,  but  bearing  a  resemblance  to 
them.  xAll  things  on  this  stone  point  to  the  time  before 
Ezra." 

G.  R.  Lederer,  editor  "Israelite  Indeed,"  wrote  in 
May,  1861:  "We  suppose  that  many  if  not  most  of 
our  readers  have  seen  in  religious,  as  well  as  in  secular 
papers,  the  accounts  of  some  relics  which  were  found 
a  few  months  ago  in  a  mound  near  Newark,  Ohio- 
These  relics  consist  of  stones  of  strange  shapes,  bear- 
ing Hebrew  inscriptions,  which  makes  the  case  particu- 
larly interesting  to  me  as  a  Hebrew.  *  *  In  calling 
a  few  days  ago  on   my  friend,   Mr.  Theodore  Dwight, 


70.  THE    BOOK    UNSEALED. 

(the  Recording  Secretary  of  the  American  Ethnological 
Society  and  my  associate  in  the  editorship  of  this  maga- 
zine), my  eyes  met  with  the  very  object  of  my  desire. 
That  I  examined  these  antiquities  carefully  none  of  our 
readers  will,  I  think,  entertain  any  doubt.  I  recognized 
all  the  letters  except  one,  (the  ayin)  though  the  forms 
of  many  of  them  are  different  from  those  now  in  use." 

According  *to  the  statement  of  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon, that  portion  of  Israel  known  as  the  Nephites  and 
Lamanites  came  over  to  the  Western  Continent  about 
600  B.  C.  Usher's  chronology  locates  Ezra's  proph- 
ecy, ending  556  B.  C.  It  would  be  of  the  current  He- 
brew in  its  letters  and  forms  of  the  times  of  Ezra,  that 
the  Nephites  would  have  brought  with  them.  The  fact 
that  the  Hebrew  discovered  upon  the  relics  already 
described,  is  clearly  of  that  period,  is  a  strong  proof 
in  support  of  the  claim  made  in  the  Book  of  Mormon, 
This  is  the  stronger,  when  it  is  known  that  since  A.  D. 
1829,  the  searcher  and  seeker  after  the  curious  of  an- 
tiquity have  been  at  work,  constantly  increasing  the 
volume  and  variety  of  evidence,  all  in  confirmation  of 
the  testimony  of  this  book. 

Of  the  Indians,  Priest  says:  "Their  Jewish  cus- 
toms are  too  many  to  be  enumerated  in  this  work.  He- 
brew words  are  found  among  the  American  Indians  in 
considerable   variety." --x\merican  Antiquities,  pp.   59, 

65. 

Palacio  relates  that  at  Azori  in  Honduras,  the  na- 
tives circumcised  boys  before  an  idol  called  lcelca."f 
—Carta,  p.  84 

"Both  Malvenda  and  Acosta  affirm  that  the  natives 
observed  a  jubilee  year  according  to  Israel's  usage." — 
A  Star  in  the'West,  p.  250. 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED  7 1. 

Acosta  says:  "That  the  South  Amjerican  Indians 
dress  like  the  ancient  Jews,  that  they  wear  a  square  lit- 
tle poke  over  a  little  coat." — Ibid.,    249. 

Mr.  Edwards,  in  his  history  of  the  West  Indies  says: 
"The  striking  conformity  of  prejudices  and  customs  of 
the  Charivee  Indians  to  the  practice  of  the  Jews  has 
not  escaped  the  notice  of  historians,  as  Gamella  and 
Du  Terte  and  others." — Ibid.,  250. 

"The  Indians  to  the  eastward  say  that  in  Central 
and  eastern  America,  previous  to  the  white  people  com- 
ing into  the  country,  their  ancestors  were  used  to  the 
custom  of  circumcision,  but  latterly,  not  being  able  to 
assign  any  reason  for  so  strange  a  practice,  their  young 
people  insisted  upon  it  being  absolved." — Ibid.,  113. 

"Dr.  Beattie  in  Beattie's  Journal  says,  of  a  visit  he 
paid  the  Indians  on  the  Ohio  about  the  year  1770,  that 
an  old  Christian  Indian  informed  him  that  an  old  uncle 
who  had  died  about  t728,  related  to  him  several  cus- 
toms and  traditions  of  former  times;  and  among  others, 
that  circumcision  was  practiced  among  the  Indians  long 
ago,  but  their  young,  making  mock  of  it,  brought  it  in- 
to disrepute,  and  so  it  came  to  be  disused." — Ibid.,  1 13. 

"Souard,  in  his  Melenges  De  Literature,  or  literary 
miscellanies,  speaking  of  the  Indians  of  Guiana,  says, 
on  the  authority  of  a  learned  Jew,  Isaac  Nasci,  residing 
at  Surinan,  *  *  that  the  language  of  the  Indians,  which 
he  calls  the  Galibe  dialect,  "*"  *  is  soft  and  agreeable 
to  the  ear,  abounding  in  vowels  and  synonyms,  and  pos- 
sessing a  syntax  as  regular  as  it  would  have  been  had 
it  been  established  by  an  academy.  This  Jew  asserts 
that  all  the  substantives  are  Hebrew.  The  word 
expressive  of  sotil  in  each  language,  means  breath. 
They   have   the  same  word  in   Hebrew  to  denominate 


72, 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED. 


God,    which    means,    Master    or     Lord." — Ibid.,    107. 

Lact,  in  his  description  of  South  America,  says, 
that  he  had  often  heard  the  Indians  repeat  the  word 
"Hallelujah;"  others  attest  that  "Jehovah"  or  "Yeho- 
vo"  is  found  in  frequent  use.  —  Ibid.,  249. 

H.  A.  Stebbins  reported  for  the  Herald:  "A 
learned  Indian,  lecturing  in  Wisconsin  in  1868,  said  that 
five  hundred  Indian  words  within  his  knowledge  were 
Hebrew." 

A  table  of  words  and  phrases  is  furnished  by  Dr. 
Boudinot,  Adair  and  others,  to  show  the  similarity,  in 
some  of  the  Indian  languages,  to  the  Hebrew,  and  that 
the  fornier  must  have  been  derived  from  the  latter. 
The  following  is  an  example  afforded  from  the  sources 
quoted: 

WORDS. 

ENGLISH.  INDIAN.  IIEBKATC,  OK  C'lIALDAU:. 


Jehovah, 

Yohewah, 

Jahoveh. 

God, 

Ale, 

Ale,  Aleim. 

Jah, 

Yah  or  Wah, 

Jah. 

Shiloah, 

Shilu, 

Shiloh. 

Heavens, 

Chemim, 

Shemim. 

Father, 

Abba, 

Abba. 

Man, 

Ish,  Ishie, 

Ish. 

Woman, 

Ishto, 

Ishto. 

Wife, 

A  wah. 

Ewah,  Eve. 

Thou, 

Keah, 

Ka. 

His  wife, 

Liani, 

Lihene. 

This  man, 

Uwoh, 

Huah. 

Nose, 

Nichiri, 

Neheri. 

Roof  of  a  house, 

Taubanaora, 

Debonaou. 

Winter, 

Kora, 

Korah. 

Canaan, 

Canaai, 

Canaan. 

THE    BOOK    UNSEALED. 


73- 


ENGLISH. 

INDIAX. 

HEBKAIC,  OK<  IIAI.DAIC, 

To  pay, 

Phale, 

Phalace. 

Now, 

Na, 

Na. 

Hind  part, 

Kesh, 

Kish. 

Do, 

Jennais, 

Jannon. 

To  blow. 

Phaubac, 

Phauhe. 

Rushing  wind. 

Rowah, 

Ruach. 

Ararat,  or  high 

Mt., 

Ararat, 

Ararat. 

Assembly, 

Ivurbet, 

Grabit. 

My  skin, 

Nora, 

Ourni. 

Man  of  God, 

Ashto  Alio; 

Ishda  Alloa 

Waiter  of  the  high 

priest, 

Sag^n, 

Sagan. 

PARTS  OF  SENTENCES. 

ENGLISH.  INDIAN.  HEBREW. 

Very  Hot,  Heru  hara  or  hala,      Hara  hara. 

Praise  to  the  first 

cause,  Hallehuwah,  Hallelujah. 

Give  me  food,        Natoni  boman,  Natoni  bamen. 

Go  thy  way,  Bayon  boorkaa,  Bona  bonak. 

Good  be  with  you,  Halea  tibon.  Ye  hali  etonboa. 

My  necklace,  Yene  Kali,  Vongali. 

I  am  sick,  Nane  guale,  Nance  heti. 

•  —  Star  of  the  West,  pp.  100-107. 
Rev.  Ethen  Smith  says:  "Their  languages  in  their 
roots,  idioms  and  particular  construction,  appear  to 
have  the  whole  genius  of  the  Hebrew;  and  what  is  very 
remarkable,  have  most  of  the  peculiarities  of  that  lan- 
guage, especially  those  in  which  it  differs  from  most 
other  languages. "f— The  American  Indians,  pp.  98-101. 
In  regard  to  the  ruins  of  Palenque,  Stephens  says: 
"The  intermediate  country  is  now  occupied  by  races  of 


74-  THE    BOOK    UNSEALED. 

Indians  speaking  many  different  languages  and  entirely 
unintelligible  to  each  other;  but  there  is  room  for  the 
belief  that  the  whole  of  this  country  was  once  occupied 
by  the  same  race,  speaking  the  same  language,  or  at 
least  having  the  same  written  characters." — Travels  in 
Central  America,  Chiapas  and  Yucatan,  Vol.  2,  p.  343. 


CHAPTER  Vin. 

EGYPTIAN     RESEMBLANCE     AND    LANGUAGE 

IN  AMERICA. 

Of  Moses  it  is  said:  "-*And  Moses  was  learned  in 
all  the  wisdom  of  the  Egyptians  and  was  mighty  in 
words  and  deeds."  Acts  7:22.  He  was  also  supposed 
to  have  entered  the  Egyptian  priesthood,  as  was  the 
custom  for  kings'  sons,  except  those  who  were  en- 
throned."!— Fragmental  History,  Vol.  2,  p.  580. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  during  Joseph's  sojourn 
in  Egypt,  he  became  distinguished  in  learning,  as  no 
doubt  others  did  during  those  times.  The  contact  of 
the  children  of  Israel  with  the  Egyptians  for  hundreds 
of  years,  during  which  time  flourished  a  Joseph  and  a 
Moses,  skilled  in  all  the  learning  of  that  renowned 
land,  and  the  services  of  Moses  as  their  instructor  for 
forty  years,  would  certainly  be  sufficient  to  establish 
Egyptian  customs  and  language  with  that  people.  And 
if  Israel  came  to  America,  we  may  reasonably  look  for 
and  expect  Egyptian  traces  and  resemblances  in 
America. 

Deiafield  says:  '*On  a  review  then  of  the  archi- 
tectural evidence,  we  trace  identity  between  the  Mexi- 
cans and    Peruvians  and   the  Egyptians,   in  (First)  the 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED.  75- 

coincidence  in  the  pyramidal  sarcophagi  and  temples, 
and  their  peculiar  structure.  (Second.)  The  posses- 
sion of  the  same  architectural  and  mechanical  genius 
which  enabled  them  to  remove  masses,  which  our  me- 
chanical skill  has  not  attained  to.  (Third.)  The 
peculiarity  of  hieroglyphic  inscription  of  the  zodiac 
and  planispheric  sculpture  in  their  sacred  buildings. 
(Fourth.)  An  identity  of  architectural  and  sepulchral 
decorations.  (Fifth.)  An  analogous  construction  of 
bridges.  (Sixth.)  A  singular  analogy  in  the  specimen 
given  of  their  sculpture." — Delafield,  p.  6i. 

Bancroft  says:  '"Resemblances  have  been  found 
between  the  calendar  systems  of  Egypt  and  America, 
based  chiefly  upon  the  length  and  division  of  the  year, 
and  the  number  of  intercalary  and  complementary 
days.'" — Native  Races,  Vol.  5,  p.  62. 

Pidgeon  says:  "Ancient  Egypt,  first  in  science 
and  famous  in  art,  has  also  left  her  impress  here.  In 
1775  some  of  the  first  settlers  in  Kentucky,  whose  curi- 
osity was  excited  by  something  remarkable  in  the  ar- 
rangement of  stones  that  filled  the  entrance  to  a  cave, 
removed  them,  and  on  entering,  discovered  a  number 
of  mummies,  preserved  by  the  art  of  embalming  in  as 
great  a  state  of  perfection  as  was  known  by  the  ancient 
Egyptians  1800  years  before  Christ,  which  was  about 
the  time  the  Israelites  were  in  bondage  in  Egypt.  This 
custom  would  seem  as  purely  Egyptian,  and  was  prac- 
ticed in  the  earliest  age  of  their  national  existence.  A 
trait  of  national  practice  so  strong  and  palpable  as  is 
this  peculiar  art,  should  lead  the  mind  without  hesita- 
tion to  the  belief  that  wherever  it  was  practiced,  its 
authors  or  pupils  existed." — Traditions  of  De  Coo  Dab, 
p.  19,     Also  Priest's  American  Antiquities,  pp.  1 14-1 17. 


76.  ■       THK    BOOK    UNSEALED. 

''But  at  Lexington,  Kentucky,  the  traits  are  too 
notorious  to  allow  them  to  be  other  than  pure  Egyptian, 
in  full  possession  of  the  strongest  complexion  of  their 
national  character,  that  of  embalming,  which  was  con- 
nected with  their  religion." — Priest's  American  An- 
tiquities, p.  119. 

"One  of  the  most  interesting  sources  of  compari- 
son between  Mexico,  Peru,  and  Egypt,  is  to  be  found 
in  an  investigation  of  their  hieroglyphic  system.  Each 
of  these  countries  had  a  peculiar  method  of  recording 
events  by  means  of  hieroglyphic  signs,  sculpturing 
them  on  monuments  and  buildings,  and  portraying 
them  on  papyrus  and  maguey."— -Delafield's  American 
Antiquities,  p.   42. 

"It  is  the  opinion  of  the  author  that  further  inves- 
tigations and  discoveries  in  deciphering  Mexican  hiero- 
glyphic paintings  will  exhibit  a  close  analogy  to  the 
Egyptian  in  the  use  of  two  scriptural  systems;  the  one 
for  monumental  inscription,  the  other  for  ordinary  pur- 
poses of  record  and  transmission  of  information.  We 
find  the  three  species  of  hieroglyphics  common  to  Mex- 
ico and  Egypt." — Ibid.,  p.  46. 

Le  Plongeon  says:  "The  ancient  Maya  hieratic 
alphabet,  discovered  by  me,  is  as  near  alike  to  the  an- 
cient hieratic  alphabet  of  the  Egyptians,  as  two  alpha- 
bets can  possibly  be,  forcing  upon  us  the  conclusion 
that  the  Mayas  and  the  Egyptians  either  learned  the 
art  of  writing  from  the  same  masters,  or  that  the 
Egyptians  learned  it  from  the  Mayas." — Sacred  Mys- 
teries, p.  1 13. 

"In  tracing,  then,  the  ancestry  of  the  Mexicans 
and  Peruvians,  by  analogy  in  their  hieroglyphic  system, 
where    shall    we  take  them   but    to    Egypt   and  south- 


THK    BOOK    UNSEALED  77. 

ern   Asia.?" — Delafield's  American   Antiquities,    p.   47. 

Of  a  comparison  of  quotations  given  on  page  51, 
Delafield  says:  ''Th^e  quotations  we  consider  very 
positive  evidence  of  an  early  identity  between  the  ab- 
original race  ot  America  and  the  southern  Asiatic  and 
Itgyptian  family." — American  Antiquities,  p-  51. 

"Let  us  now  take  a  brief  review  of  the  analogical 
evidence  of  an  identity  of  the  family  of  Mexico  and 
Peru  with  that  of  Hindostan  or  Egypt  to  simplify 
which  we  name  the  several  coincidences,  which  have 
been  specified  in  their  proper  order." — Ibid.,  p.  65. 
On  the  same  page  then  follows  twenty-six  coinci- 
dences under  seven-  headings. 

"As  to  the  Mexicans  it  would  be  superfluous  to  ex- 
amine how  they  obtained  their  knowledge.  Such  a 
problem  would  not  soon  be  solved;  but  the  fact  that 
the  intercalation  of  thirteen  days  in  every  cycle,  that  is, 
the  use  of  a  solar  year  of  three  hundred  and  sixty-five 
and  one  fourth  days,  is  proof  that  it  is  either  borrowed 
from  the  Egyptians,  or  that  they  had  a  common  origin  " 
— Delafield's  American  Antiquities,  p.  53. 

Elder  R.  M.  Elvin  in  writing  for  Herald,  says: 
"Wm.  Hosea  Ballou  in  the  Scientific  American  of  Jan- 
uary 6th,  1889,  gives  the  following  statement  from  Dr. 
Le  Plongeon,  'Here  (Uxmal)  were  many  beautiful  min- 
eral paintings,  probably  the  only  vestiges  now  existing 
by  ancient  American  Art.  *  *  They  were  on  the  walls, 
which  were  smoothly  and  beautifully  plastered.  The 
paintings  were" in  vegetable  colors  the  same  as  upon  the 
tombs  of  Egypt.  They  represent  the  history  of  the 
life  of  the  individual  buried  beneath  the  mausoleum.'  " 

Bancroft  says:  "The  columns  of  Copan  stand  de- 
tached and  solitary,  so  do  the  obelisks  of  Egypt  do  the 


78.  THE    BOOK    UNSEALED. 

same,  both  are  square  or  four  sided  and  covered  with 
the  art  of  the  sculptor." — Native  Races,  Vol.  5,  p.  60. 

"Strange  indeed  that  even*the  obelisks  of  Egypt 
have  their  counterpart  in  America.  Molina,  in  his  his- 
tory of  Chili  says:  'Between  the  hills  of  Mendoza  and 
La  Punta  is  a  pillar  of  stone  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
high  and  twelve  feet  in  diameter.'  "t  -  History  of  Chili, 
tom.  I,  p.  169. 

The  report  of  the  Davenport  Academy  of  Science 
for  1882,  in  the  description  of  the  stone  tablet  says: 
"This  tablet,  *  *  represents  a  planetary  configuration, 
th*e  twelve  signs  of  the  Zodiac  known  to  all  nations  of 
old,  and  seven  planets  conjoined'  with  six  different 
signs.  *  *  The  figures  of  the  signs  are  the  same  which 
we  find  depicted  on  Egyptian,  Greek,  Roman  and  other 
monuments."— Presidency  and  Priesthood,  p.  286. 

"There  is  a  very  distinct  resemblance  in  some  of 
these  hieroglyphics  (of  Central  America)  to  those  of 
Egypt." — Prehistoric  America,  p.  328  or  Presidency 
and  Priesthood,  p.  269. 

"Above  the  door  and  simulating  windows  (in  the 
valley  of  Youcay,  one  of  the  tributaries  of  the  Amazon), 
we  meet  again  with  the  Egyptian  'tau'  that  we  have 
already  seen  at  Palenque." — Ibid^,  p.  417. 

"The  ornamentations  of  the  buildings  resemble  that 
upon  Egyptian  monuments." — Ibid.,  p.  324. 

"Statues  resemble  those  of  Egypt  and  head  dress 
a  little  like  that  of  the  Assyrians." — Ibid.,  p.  327. 

"They  wore  a  head  dress  that  has  been  pronounced 
Egyptian." — Ibid.,  p.  392. 

As  to  the  hieroglyphical  writing,  Delafield  says: 
"Their  buildings,  particularly  the  sacred  houses,  were 
covered    with    hieroglyphics.       Each    race,    Egyptian, 


IHK    BOOK    UNSEALED  79. 

Mexican  and  Peruvian  recorded  the  deeds  of  their  gods 
upon  the  walls  of  their  temples." — Inq.  Origin  Ameri- 
can Antiquities,  p.  60. 

Wm.  Woodhead  contributing  to  Herald  writes: 
''The  shape  of  the  temples  (in  Yucatan  and  Central 
America)  was  that  of  the  Egyptian  letter  M,  called 
ma  i  1,  a  word  that  also  means  'place,'  'country' 
and,  by  extension,  'the  Universe.'  The  Egyptians 
adopted  it,  therefore,  not  because  they  believed,  as  Dr. 
Fanton  suggests,  that  the  earth  was  square  or  oblong; 
for  they  knew  full  well  it  was  spherical,  but  becuase  the 
sign  of  the  word  'ma'  conveyed  to  their  mind  the  idea 
of  the  earth,  as  the  word  'earth'  represents  it  to  ours. 
But  ma  is  also  the  radicalof  Mayax;  and  likewise,  in 
the  Maya  language,  it  means  'the  country,'  'the  earth.'  " 
— Sacred  Mysteries,  p.  ;^^. 

Again  he  says,  concerning  prehistoric  man  in  Cen- 
tral America:       "In   all   the   buildings,   whatever   their 
size,  the  ground   plan   was  in   the  shape   of   an   oblong 
square,  1       i  that  is  of  their  letter  M,  pronounced   ma 
Ma  is,  the  contraction  of  Mam,  the  ancestor,  as  they  de 
nominated   the  Earth,  and  by  extension,  the  Universe 
Ma  is  also  the  radical  of  Mayax,  the  name  of  the  Yu 
catecan    peninsula,    in    ancient    times.    *  *  in    Egypt 
and   in    Mayax   the   figure  i    in   the    hieroglyphics 

stands  for  Earth  and  Universe." — Ibid.,  p.  62. 

i  !  "It  is  the  letter  M,  pronounced  Ma,  of  the 
Maya  and  Egyptian  ancient  alphabets.  It  is  the  radi- 
cal of  Mayax,  name  of  the  empire.  But  Ma  in  Egypt 
as  in  Mayax,  is  a  word  that  signifies  country,  and  by 
extension,  Universe;  and  in  Mayax  as  in  Egypt  I  1'  is 
one  of  the  signs  for  land." — Ibid.,  p.  104. 

Now  this  is  curious  enough,  isn't  it,  that  a  people 


8o.  THE    BOOK    UNSKAI,KD. 

that  sixty  years  ago  were  said  to  have  been  nearly  sav- 
ages with  '•*no  mental  culture  or  intellectual  develop- 
ment," should  be  now  found  to  represent  the  earth  by 
the  same  hieroglyphic  that  the  enlightened  Egyptians 
did.  Both  nations  represented  the  earth  by  the  same 
sign,  and  it  is  remarkable,  too,  that  the  same  sign 
should  not  only  be  the  same  in  form,  but  also  the  same 
in  meaning  in  both  countries,  in  their  hieroglyphics  and 
^•Iphabets!  The  sign  '  1  "conveyed  to  their  minds 
the  idea  of  the  earth,  as  the  word  'earth'  represents  it 
to  ours,"  and  did  not  mean  to  them  an  earth  with  four 
corners;  "they  knew  full  well  it  was  spherical."  The 
fact  is,  "they  knew  the  rotundity  of  the  earth,  which 
it  was  supposed  Columbus  had  discovered."  See  At- 
lantis, p.  364. 

We  will  now  proceed  a  step  further,,  and  see  what 
is  said  concerning  the  Yucatan  or  Landa  alphabet. 

"It  is  astonishing  to  notice  that  while  Landa's  "B 
is,  according  to  Valentine,  represented  by  a  footprint, 
and  that  path  and  footprint  are  pronounced  Be  in  the 
Maya  dictionary,  the  Egyptian  sign  for  B  was  the 
human  leg.  Still  more  surprising  is  it  that  the  H  of 
Landa's  alphabet  is  a  tie  of  cord,  while  the  Egyptian 
H  is  a  twisted  cord.  *  *  But  the  most  striking  coin- 
cidence of  all  occurs  in  the  coiled  or  curled  line  repre- 
senting Landa's  U,  for  it  is  absolutely  identical  with 
the  Egyptian  curled  U.  The  Mayan  word  for  to  wind 
or  bend  is  Uuc;  but  why  should  the  Egyptians,  con- 
fined as  they  were  to  the  valley  of  the  Nile,  and  abhor- 
ing,  as  they  did,  the  sea  and  sailors,  write  their  U  pre- 
cisely like  Landa's  alphabet  U  in  Central  America? 
There  is  one  other  remarkable  coincidence  between 
Landa's  and  the  P2gyptian   alphabets;  and,  by  the  way. 


I 

THE    BOOK    UNSEALEU.  8 1 


the  English  and  other  Teutonic  dialects  have  a  curious 
share  in  it.  Landa's  D  (T)  is  a  disk  with  Jines  inside 
the  four  quarters,  the  allowed  Mexican  symbol  for  a 
(lay  or  sun.  So  far  as  sound  is  concerned,  the  English 
day  represents  it;  so  far  as  form  is  concerned,  the 
Egyptian  'cake,'  ideograph  for  (i)  country  and  (2)  the 
sun's  orbit,  is  essentially  the  same." — ''Proceedings  of 
the  American  Philosophical  Society,"  December,  1880, 
p.   154,  as  quoted  in  Atlantis,  p.  2^11. 

Donnelly  commenting  on  the  Landa  Alphabet  says: 
"It  would  appear  as  if  both  the  Phienicians  and  Egyp- 
tians drew  their  alphabets  from  a  common  source,  of 
which  the  Maya  is  a  survival,  but  did  not  borrow  from 
one  another.  They  followed  out  different  characteris- 
tics in  the  same  lOriginal  hieroglyph,  as,  for  instance, 
in  the  letter  b.  xAnd  yet  I  have  shown  that  the  closest 
resemblances  exist  between  the  Maya  alphabet  and  the 
Egyptian  signs  [of  this  system]  in  the  c,  h,  t,  i,  k,  1, 
ra,  n,  o,  q,  and  s  eleven  letters  in  all;  in  some  cases, 
as  in  the  n  and  k,  the  signs  are  identical;  thek,  in  both 
alphabets,  is  not  only  a  serpent,  but  a  serpent  with  a 
protuberance  or  convolution  in  the  middlel  If  we  add 
to  the  above  the  b  and  u,  referred  to  in  the  'Proceed- 
ings of  the  American  Philosophical  Society,'  we  have 
thirteen  letters  out  of  sixteen  in  the  Maya  and  Egyptian 
related  to  each  other.  Can  any  theory  of^  accidental 
coincidences  account  for  all  this?  And  it  must  be  re- 
membered that  these  resemblances  are  found  between 
the  only  two  phonetic  systems  of  alphabets  in  the 
world." — Atlantis,  p.  232. 

The  Phoenicians  here  referred  to  were  the  people 
that  occupied  Tyre  and  Sidon  in  Bible  history,  and 
were  neighbors  to  the  Jews,  with  whom  they  appear  to 


$2.  THK    BC^OK    UNSEALED. 

have  been  related.  It  was  "Hiram,"  king  of  Tyre, 
that  furnished  skilled  workmen  to  Solomon.  (See 
I  Kings  7:  13,  etc.) 

From  the  above  we  learn  that  these  three  ancient 
nations,  viz:  Egyptians,  Phoenicians  and  Central 
Americans,  seem  to  have  had  originally  the  same  alpha- 
bet; and  either  one  people  learned  and  derived  their 
alphabet  from  the  other,  or  each  drew  from  a  common 
source;  but  each  afterward  separately  followed  out  dif- 
ferent characteristics  in  the  changes  they  made,  and 
did  not  borrow  from  one  another.  That  is  precisely 
what  the  Book  of  Mormon  teaches  about  ancient  iVmeri- 
can  writing.  Lehi  and  his  colony  brought  with  them 
from  Jerusalem  to  America  a  knowledge  of  Egyptian 
writing  as  the  Jews  at  Jerusalem  taught  it.  And  Moroni 
says  the  Egyptian  writing  known  to  them  had  been 
changed  by  the  Nephites  "according  to  our  manner  of 
speech."  Now  the  characters  on  the  plates  were  not 
exactly  the  same  as  any  one  of  the  systems  of  Egyptian 
writing;   but  were  one  of  those  systems  "reformed." 

But  to  the  alphabet  again. 

Lee  us  suppose  that  two  men  agree  that  each  shall 
construct  apart  from  the  other  a  phonetic  alphabet  of 
sixteen  letters;  that  they  shall  employ  only  simple 
forms  (combinations  of  straight  or  curved  lines),  and 
that  their  signs  shall  not  in  any  wise  resemble  the  let- 
ters now  in  use.  They  go  to  work  apart;  they  have  a 
multitudinous  array  of  forms  to  drsiw  from — the  thous- 
and possible  combinations  of  lines,  angles,  circles,  and 
curves;  when  they  have  finished,  they  bring  their  alpha- 
bets together  for  comparison.  Under  such  circum- 
stances it  is  possible  that  out  of  sixteen  signs  one  sign 
might  appear  in  both  alphabets;  there  is  one  chance  in 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED.  S^. 

a  hundred  that  such  might  be  the  case;  but  there  is  not 
one  chance  in  five  hundred  that  this  sign  should  in  both 
cases  represent  the  same  sound.  It  is  barely  possible 
that  two  men  working  thus  apart  should  hit  upon  two 
or  three  identical  forms,  but  altogether  impossible  that 
these  forms  should  have  same  significance;  and  by  no 
stretch  of  the  imagination  can  it  be  supposed  that  in 
these  alphabets  so  created,  without  correspondence, 
thirteen  out  of  sixteen  signs  should  be  the  same  in  form 
and  the  same  in  meaning." — Atlantis,  pp.  232,  233. 

This  Landa  alphabet  was  discovered  in  Central 
America,  where  the  Nephite  nation  was  located  accord- 
ing to  the  author  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  which  nation 
appears  to  have  settled  there  about  four  hundred  and 
seventy  years  after  Lehi's  colony  left  Jerusalem.  If  the 
Nephite  system  of  writing  and  their  language  were  under- 
going changes  from  time  to  time,  "according  to  our 
manner  of  speech,"  do  we  not  see  that  they  had  in  their 
isolated  condition  ample  time  to  have  made  several 
changes  in  their  style  of  letters  before  they  reached  and 
settled  Central  America.  And  some  of  these  slight 
changes  in  the  form  of  these  letters  may  have  been 
made  with  the  Jews,  even  before  they  left  the  "land  of 
Jerusalem."  The  "learning  of  the  Jew"  may  be  re- 
sponsible for  some  of  the  slight  changes  found  in  the 
Landa  alphabet. 

On  page  219  of  Atlantis  which  is  a  plate  (jf  char- 
acters of  various  alphabets,  column  one  and  two  are 
distinct  forms  of  tne  Maya  alphabet,  while  the  third  is 
a  column  of  what  are  termed  intermediate  forms  so 
there  were  three  or  more  kinds  of  Maya  alphabet  char- 
acters. 

Delafield    says:       "We  find  three  species  of  hiero- 


84.  i'HE    BOOK    UNSEALED. 

glyphics  common  to  Mexico)  and  Egypt." — American 
Antiquities,  p.  46. 

"Egyptian  writing  is  of  three  distinct  kinds,  which 
are  known  respectively  by  the  names  of  Hyeroglyphic, 
Hieratic  and  Demotic  or  Enchorial." 

"The  hieroglyphic  is  that  of  almost  all  monuments, 
and  is  also  occasionally  found  in  manuscripts.  The 
hieratic  and  demotic  occur  with  extreme  rarity  upon 
monuments,  but  are  employed  far  more  commonly  than 
the  hieroglyphics  in  the  papyrus  rolls  or  books  of  the 
Egyptians." — Rawlinson's  Egypt,  Vol.  1,  p.   120. 

Le  Plongeon  says:  "The  ancient  Maya  hieratic 
alphabet,  discovered  by  me,  is  as  near  alike  to  the  an- 
cient hieratic  alphabet  of  the  Egyptians,  as  two  alpha- 
bets can  possibly  be,  forcing  upon  us  the  conclusion 
that  the  Mayas  and  the  Egyptians  either  learned  the 
art  of  writing  from  the  same  masters,  or  that  the 
Egyptians  learned  it  from  the  Mayas." — Sacred  Mys- 
teries 113. 

The  Nephite  use  of  language  was  universal  in 
North,  Central,  and  South  America,  as  clearly  set  forth 
in  the  Book  of  Mormon.  The  subjugation  of  the  Ne- 
phites  by  the  Lamanites  wrought  out  the  decline  and 
overthrow  of  the  common  language  and  its  division  in- 
to a  "multiplicity  of  tongues." 

Bancroft  says:  "The  researches  of  the  few  phi- 
lologists who  have  given  American  languages  their  study 
have  brought  to  light  the  following  facts:  First,  that 
a  relationship  exists  among  all  the  tongues  of  the 
Northern  and  Southern  continents;  and  that  while  cer- 
tain characteristics  are  found  in  common  throughout 
all  the  languages  of  America,  these  languages  are  as  a 
whole    sufficiently   peculiar  to  be   distinguishable   from 


THE    HOOK    UNSEALED  85. 

the  speech  of  all  the  other  races  of  the  world.  Al- 
though some  of  these  characteristics,  as  a  matter  of 
course,  are  found  in  some  of  the  languages  of  the  old 
world,  more  of  them  in  the  Turanian  family  than  any 
other,  yet  nowhere  on  the  globe  are  uniformities  of 
speech  carried  over  vast  areas  and  through  innumerable 
and  diversified  races  with  such  persistency,  as  in 
America;  nowhere  are  tongues  so  dissimilar  and  yet  so 
alike  as  here." — National  Races,  vol.  3,  p.  553. 

He  says  again:  '-The  multiplicity  of  tongues, 
even  within  comparatively  narrow  areas,  rendered  the 
adoption  of  some. sort  of  universal  language  absolutely 
necessary.  This  international  language  in  America  is 
for  the  most  part  confined  to  gestures,  and  nowhere 
has  gesture  language  attained  a  higher  degree  of  per- 
fection than  here;  and  what  is  most  remarkable,  the 
same  representatives  are  employed  from  Alaska  to 
Mexico,  and  even  in  South  America." — Ibid.,  p.  556. 

Professor  Benjamin  Smith  Barton,  was  the  first  to 
collect  and  classify  American  words.  After  him  fol- 
lowed Vater,  who  in  his  Mithridates,  published  in  Leip- 
sic  in  1810,  carried  out  the  subject  in  an  extended 
form.  The  result  of  their  labors  is  thus  stated:  "In 
eighty-three  American  languages,  one  hundred  and 
seventy  words  have  been  found,  the  roots  of  which  have 
been  the  same  in  both  continents;  and  it  is  easy  to 
perceive  that  this  analogy  is  not  accidental,  since  it 
does  not  rest  merely  on  imitative  harmony,  or  on 
that  conformity  of  organs  which  produces  almost  an 
identity  in  the  first  sounds  articulated  by  children. 
Of  these,  three  fifths  resemble  the  Mantchou,  Ton- 
gouse,  Mongul,  and  Samoide  languages;  and  two-fifths 
the     Celtic,     Tchoud,     Biscayan,     Coptic    and    Congo 


86.  THE    BOOK    UNSEALED. 

languages." — Delafield's    American  Antiquities,   p.    25. 

''In  America  there  are  at  least  five  hundred  lan- 
guages."— Ibid.,  p.  23. 

Priest  quoting  Prof.  Rafinesque  says:  "  'A  multi- 
tude of  languages  exists  in  America,  which  may  per- 
haps be  reduced  to  twenty-five  radical  languages,  and 
two  thousand  dialects.  But  they  are  often  unlike  the 
Hebrew,  in  roots,  words  and  grammar;  they  have  by 
far,  says  the  author,  more  analogies  with  the  Sanscrit,* 
(the  ancient  Chinese),  'Celtic,  Bask,  Pelasgian,  Ber- 
ber,' (in  Europe)  'Lybian,  Egyptian,', (in  Africa)  'Per- 
sian, Turan,'  etc.,  (also  in  Europe)  or  in  fact,  all  the 
primitive  languages  of  mankind." — American  Antiqui- 
ties, p.  78. 

"The  actual  number  of  American  languages  and 
dialects  is  as  yet  unascertained,  but  estimated  at  nearly 
thirteen  hundred,  six  hundred  of  which  Mr.  Bancroft 
has  classified  in  his  third  volume." — Native  Races  of 
Pacific  States. 

"Language  in  aboriginal  America  may  be  pro- 
nounced a  mystery  of  mysteries  and  a  babel  of  babels. 
Mr.  Bancroft  has  catalogued  nearly  six  hundred 
distinct  languages,  existing  between  northern  Alaska 
and  the  Isthmus  of  Panama." — Short's  American  An- 
tiquities, pp.    190,  469. 

The  Nephites  engraving  their  plates  in  reformed 
Egyptian,  is  not  a  strange  claim,  in  the  light  of  their 
association  with  Egyptian  learning  in  the  times  past. 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED  87. 


CHAPTER  IX. 
PLATES— RECORDS. 
Elder  J.  R.  Lambert  in  the  Independent  Patriot 
says:  "In  the  days  of  Job,  writing  on  imperishable 
material  was  understood.  Job  19:  23,  24:  'Oh  that 
my  words  were  now  written!  oh  that  they  were  printed 
in  a  book!      That  they   were  graven   with  an   iron   pen 

and  lead  in  the  rock  forever.'  " 

» 

It  was  understood  and  practiced  in  the  days  of 
Moses.  Exodus  39:  30:  ''And  they  made  the  plate  of 
the  holy  crown  of  pure  gold,  and  wrote  upon  it  a  writ- 
ing like  to  the  engravings  of  a  signet.  Holiness  to  the 
Lord." 

In  the  Apocrypha,  i  Mace.  14:  48,  49,  we  have 
the  following  plain  statements:  '^^nd  they  command- 
ed that  this  writing  should  be  put  in  tables  of  brass,  and 
that  they  should  be  set  up  within  the  compass  of  the 
sanctuary,  in  a  conspicuous  place,  and  that  a  copy 
thereof  should  be  put  in  the  treasury,  that  Simon  and 
his  sons  may  have  it." — Douay  Translation. 

"After  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  about  A.  D. 
70,  Titus,  the  Roman  general,  called  at  Antioch,  and 
the  people  presented  to  him  a  petition  against  the  Jews. 
Of  this  translation,  Josephus  says:  'Whereupon  the 
people  of  Antioch,  when  they  had  failed  of  success  in 
this  their  first  request,  made  him  a  second,  for  they  de- 
sired that  he  would  order  those  tables  of  brass  to  be  re- 


88.  THE    BOOK    UNSKALKD. 

moved,  on  which  the  Jews'  privileges  were  engraven/ 
etc." — Josephus,   vol,  6,  p.   132. 

The  American  nations  writing  on  metal  plates  and 
other  imperishable  materials,  is  not  strange  in  the  light 
of  this,  and  it  is  highly  probable  in  the  case  of  the  Ne- 
phites,  as  they  were  Israelites. 

The  claim  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  that  the  ancient 
American  nations  had  written  on  metallic  plates,  was 
thought  to  be  its  sure  defeat;  but  plates  and  various 
materials  containing  hieroglyphical  writing  have  since 
been  found  in  such  abundance,  that  the  claim  is  now 
fully  sustained. 

In  the  Quincy  (111.)  Whig  appeared  an  article  de- 
scribing plates  found  April  23d,  1843:^ 

*'A  Mr.  J.  Roberts  from  Pike  county,  called  upon 
us  last  Monday  with  a  written  description  of  a  discov- 
ery which  was  recently  made  near  Kinderhook  in  that 
county.  *  *  It  appeared  that  a  young  man  by  the  name 
of  Wiley,  a  resident  of  Kinderhook,  commenced  dig- 
ging into  a  mound,  finding  it  quite  laborious,  he  in- 
vited others  to  assist  him;  finally  a  company  of  ten  or 
twelve  repaired  to  the  mound  and  assisted.  *  *  After 
penetrating  the  mound  about  eleven  feet  they  came  to  a 
bed  of  limestone  that  had  been  apparently  subjected  to 
the  fire.  They  removed  the  stones  *  *  to  the  depth  of 
two  feet,  *  *  when  they  found  six  brass  plates  secured 
or  fastened  together  by  two  iron  wires,  but  which  were 
so  decayed  that  they  readily  crumbled  to  dust  upon  be- 
ing handled.  The  plates  were  so  completely  covered 
with  dust  as  almost  to  obliterate  the  characters  in- 
scribed upon  them,  but  after  undergoing  a  chemical 
process,  the  inscriptions  were  brought  out  plain  and 
distinct.      There    were  six  plates  four   inches  in  length. 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED.  89. 

i^  inches  wide  at  the  top,  and  2^  wide  at  the  bottom, 
flaring  at  the  points.  There  are  four  lines  of  characters 
or  hieroglyphics  on  each.  *  *  In  the  place  where  the 
plates  were  deposited,  were  also  found  human  bones, 
in  the  last  stage  of  decomposition:  *  *  it  is  believed  that 
it  was  but  the  burial  place  of  a  small  number,  perhaps 
a  person  or  a  family  of  distinction,  in  ages  long  gone 
by,  *  *  of  a  people  that  existed  far,  far  beyond  the 
memory  or  the  present  race.  *  *  The  plates,  above 
alluded  to  were  exhibited  in  this  city  last  week.'' 

Wiley  and  eight  others  testify,  in  the  "Times  and 
Seasons,"  to  the  finding  of  these  plates,  as  follows: 
"We,  the  citizens  of  Kinderhook,  whose  names  are  an- 
nexed, do  certify  and  declare  that  on  the  23d  of  April, 
1843,  while  excavating  at  large  mound  in  this  vicinity, 
Mr.  Wiley  took  from  said  mound  six  brass  plates  of  a 
bell  shape,  covered  with  ancient  characters.  Said 
plates  were  very  much  oxidated.  The  bands  and  rings 
on  said  plates  mouldered  into  dust  on  a  slight  pressure. 
R.  Wiley,  George  Deckenson,  W.  Longnecker,  G.  W. 
F.  Ward,  J.  R.  Sharp,  Ira  S.  Curtis,  Fayette  Grubb, 
W.  P.  Harris,  W.  Fugate." 

Of  articles  discovered  opposite  Marietta,  Ohio,  on 
the  Muskingum,  Priest  says:  "Sixth,  Under  a  heap  of 
dust  and  tennons,  shreds  of  feathered  cloth  and  hair,  a 
parcel  of  brass  rings,  cut  out  of  a  solid  piece  of  metal, 
and  in  such  a  manner  that  the  rings  were  suspended 
from  each  other,  without  the  aid  of  solder  or  any  other 
visible  agency  whatever.  Each  ring  was  three  inches 
in  diameter,  and  the  bar  of  the  rings  a  half  inch  thick, 
and  were  square;-  a  variety  of  characters  were  deeply 
engraved  on  the  sides  of  the  rings  resembling  the  Chin- 
ese characters." — American  Antiquities,  p.  93. 


90.  THK    BOOK     UNSEALED. 

G.  W.  West  of  Manchester,  Adams  county,  Ohio, 
wrote  an  article  dated  January  .19th,  1880,  which  ap- 
peared in  Herald,  in  which  it  is  set  forth  that.  Near 
Manchester,  Adams  county,  Ohio,  on  the  old  Smith 
farm  on  the  Portsmouth  pike,  in  1880,  in  a  cave  where 
twenty-five  bodies  had  been  entombed  as  in  Egypt, 
was  found  a  square  package  at  the  head  of  a  tomb, 
wrapped  in  varnished  cloth,  containing  a  book  of  one 
hundred  leaves  of  thin  copper,  fastened  loosely  at  the 
top  and  crowded  with  finely  engraved  characters.  Mr. 
Samuel  Groom,  who  owned  the  farm  at  the  time,  is  re- 
ported as  having  forwarded  these  to  the  Smithsonian 
Institute. 

The  Newport,  Vermont,  Express  and  Standard  of 
August  15th,  1882,  quoting  from  the  New  Orleans  Dem- 
ocrat says:  "The  pyramids  and  mounds  which  so 
often  occur  in  the  western  states  *  *  have  been  leveled 
*  *  by  zealous  searchers  for  relics  of  antiquity.  Nor 
liave  their  efforts  been  in  vain,  copper  hatchets,  chisels 
and  various  other  kinds  of  tools  have  been  unearthed 
with  copper  plates  covered  with  inscriptions." 

"Chillicothe,.  Ohio,  December  15,  1891. — Hun- 
dreds came  today  to  see  the  mound  builder  relics  un- 
covered by  Warren  K.  Moorehead,  Monday.  Of  the 
five  skeletons  lying  side  by  side,  two  were  covered  with 
a  sheet  of  copper  six  by  eight  feet.  A  large,  thick  cop- 
per ax  weighed  forty-one  pounds  and  in  point  of  size 
and  value  exceeds  any  single  specimen  ever  found  in 
the  United  States.  There  are  traces  of  gold  in  it.  The 
cutting  edge  is  seven  inches  broad  and  very  sharp. 
How  it  could  have  been  fastened  in  a  handle  and  used 
is  a  mystery.  All  the  smaller  copper  axes  are  such  as 
have  been  found  before. 


THE    BOOK    UNSKALED.  9I. 

''Thirty  copper  plates  with  mound  builders' cloth  on 
them  overlapped  the  axes,  •  The  average  size  of  the 
plates  was  ten  by  six  inches.  A  great  copper  eagle, 
twenty  inches  in  diameter,  wings  outspread,  beak  open, 
tail  and  wing  feathers  neatly  staniped  upon  the  copper 
surface,  covered  the  knees  of  one  of  the  skeletons. 
This  is  one  of  the  most  artistic  designs  ever  found  in 
copper. 

''Remains  of  a  copper  stool  about  a  foot  in  length 
and  several  inches  in  heighth  lay  near  the  head  of  one 
of  the  skeletons.  The  stool  had  been  made  out  of  wood 
and  had  been  covered  with  sheet  copper.  Flint  imple- 
ments, bear  tusks,  sea-shells  and  other  trinkets  were  al- 
so found." — Chicago  Daily  News. 

In  the  St.  Louis  Chronicle  in  February,  1889,  ap- 
peared the  following:  "Rev.  S.  D.  Peet,  the  well 
known  antiquarian,  is  reported  as  having  found  in  Illi- 
nois, two  cross  plates  which  have  all  the  appearance  of 
being  rude  musical  instruments.  These  plates  are 
about  fifteen  inches  square  and  there  are  places  for 
strings  and  a  bridge.  Along  the  lower  edge  is  a  row  of 
hieroglyphics  similar  to  those  on  the  famous  Palmyra 
plates,  said  to  have  been  discovered  by  Joseph  Smith 
and  from  which  he  interpreted  the  Book  of  Mormon." 

John  T.  Short  on  pages  38-9  of  North  Americans 
of  Antiquity,  describes  two  tablets  and  presents  a  cut 
of  one,  found  near  Davenport,  Iowa,  of  which  he  says: 
"The  most  remarkable  discovery  of  all,  however,  (rel- 
ics of  eastern  Iowa),  was  made  January  loth,  1877,  by 
Rev.  Mr.  Gass,  *  *  two  tablets  of  coal  slate  covered 
with  a  variety  of  figures  and  hieroglyphics  were  found." 

The  Cincinnati  tablet  is  described  thus:  "The 
material  is  a  fine   grained    compact    sandstone,  of  light 


92.  IHK    BOOK     UNSKAI.RD. 

brown  color.  It  measures  five  inches  in  length,  by 
three  in  breadth  at  the  ends,  two  and  six  tenths  at  the 
middle,  and  is  about  half  an  inch  in  thickness.  The 
sculptured  face  varies  very  slightly  from  a  perfect  plane. 
The  figures  are  cut  in  low  relief,  (the  lines  being  not 
more  than  one  twentieth  of  an  inch  in  depth),  and  oc- 
cupy a  rectangular  space  of  four  inches  and  two  tenths 
long,  by  two  and  one  tenth  wide."— Short's  American 
Antiquities,  pp.  46,  47.  This  tablet  was  found  Novem- 
ber, 1841,  corner  Fifth  and  Mound  streets,  Cincinnati, 
Ohio. 

'Tn  1870  there  was  found  a  tablet  in  a  mound  near 
Lafayette  Bayou,  *  *  Miss.,  which  has  the  same  re- 
duplication of  figures  in  the  carved  work  as  exists  in 
the  Cincinnati  Tablet." — Maclean's  Mound  Builders, 
]).  1 10. 

Another,  known  as  the  Berlin  tablet,  found  near 
Berlin,  Ohio,  by  Dr.  J.  E.  Sylvester,  June  14th,  1876, 
described  on  the  last  page  cited,  is  similar  to  the  last 
two  treated  upon. 

Statements  concerning  other  plates  and  tablets 
could  have  been  given,  but  the  foregoing  abundantly 
establish  the  claim  of  the  Bpok  of  Mormon,  as  to  an- 
cient, Americans  having  written  on  plates  of  imperish- 
able material. 

The  Book  of  Mormon  plates  were  f  )und  in  a. stone 
BOX  in  the  earth.  The  same  is  true  of  Hebrew  tab-. 
LETS  mentioned  in  chapter  seven  of  this  work. 

The  Davenport  tablet  and  another  plate  found  are 
described  in  a  foot  note,  on  page  38,  of  J.  T.  Short's 
work,  American  Antiquities,  thus:  *'The  two  plates 
were  closely  encircled  by  a  single  row  of  weathered 
limestones.      These  stones  are  irregular  in  shape  but  al- 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED 


93- 


most  of  the  same  size,  their  dimensions  being  about 
3x7  or  8  inches,  and  the  diameter  of  the  circle  two 
feet." 

Weekly  Inter-Ocean,  December  23,  1890:  ''Two 
inscribed  tablets  were  found  near  Davenport,  Iowa, 
covered  with  peculiar  figures,  and  among  the  figures 
some  strange  hieroglyphic  letters.  Prof.  Seyffarth  of 
St.  Louis  says,  that  the  tablets  were  descriptive  of  the 
flood,  and  that  the  people  who  deposited  them  had  mi- 
grated from  Asia." 

"  *Dr.  West  of  Stockbridge,  relates  that  an  old  In- 
dian informed  him  that  his  fathers  in  this  country  had, 
not  long  since,  been  in  the  possession  of  a  book,  which 
they  had  for  a  long  time  carried  with  them,  but  having 
lost  the  knowledge  of  reading  it,  they  buried  it  with  an 
Indian  chief.'  View  of  the  Hebrews,  p.  223". — Priest's 
Antiquities,  p.  69. 

Ellen  Russell  Emerson  says:  '*The  Ujibway  In- 
dians, relates  *Mr.  Copway,'  had  three  depositories  for 
sacred  records  near  the  waters  of  Lake  Superior.  Ten 
of  the  wisest  and  most  venerable  men  of  the  nation 
dwelt  near  these,  and  wete  appointed  guardians  of 
them."f — Indian  Myths,  pp.  225-6. 

Boudinot  says:  ''It  is  said  among  their  principle, 
or  beloved  men.  that  they  have  it  handed  down  from 
their  ancestors,  that  the  book  which  the  white  people 
have  was  once  theirs.  That  while  they  had  it  they 
prospered  exceeding,  but  that  the  white  people  bought 
it  of  them,  and  learned  many  things  from  it,  while  the 
Indians  lost  their  credit,  offended  the  Great  Spirit  and 
suffered  exceedingly  from  the  neighboring  nations.  *  ^ 
They  also  say  that  their  forefathers  were  possessed  of 
an  extraordinary   divine  Spirit,  by  which  they   foretold 


94-  I'HE    BOOK    UNSKALED. 

future  events,  and  controlled  the  common  course  of 
nature,  and  this  they  transmitted  to  their  offspring  on 
condition  of  their  obeying  the  sacred  laws.  That  they 
did  by  these  means  bring  down  showers  of  plenty  on 
the  beloved  people.  But  that  this  power,  for  a  long 
time  past,  had  entirely   ceased." — A    Star  in  the   West, 

pp.     no,    III. 

"Dr.  West  of  Stockbridge,  (Massachusetts),  re- 
lates that  an  old  Indian  informed  him  that  his  fathers 
in  this  country  had  been  in  possession  of  a  book, 
which,  for  a  long  time,  they  carried  with  them,  but, 
having  lost  the  knowledge  of  reading  it,  they  buried 
it  with  a  chief. "—Priest's  American  Antiquities,  edition 
^^33y  P-  ^9?  o^  View  of  the  Hebrews  by  Dr.  West, 
p.  223. 

The  Book  of  Mormon  mentions  coins  of  different 
value,  used  as  money.  In  the  light  of  this,  the  follow- 
ing is  interesting  as  well  as  confirmatory  of  its  state- 
ment. Correspondence  to  the  press,  from  Helena,  Ar- 
kansas, bearing  date  of  October  19th,  1891,  says:  "A 
most  remarkable  find  is  reported  from  the  little  town  of 
Laconia,  about  twenty-five  miles  south  of  this  city.  A 
well  was  being  drilled;  at  the  depth  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  feet  the  drillings  showed  they  were  passing 
through  a  layer  of  brick.  *  *  As  there  were  no  brick 
houses  in  the  town  and  never  had  been  it  could  not  be 
believed.  While  quite  a  crowd  was  around  the  well- 
hole,  the  men  brought  up  to  the  surface  a  lot  of  mud 
and  examined  it,  as  they  had  done  from  the  time  they 
found  the  brick  residue.  In  the  mass  of  mud  there  was 
a  small  piece  of  metal,  which  when  cleaned  off,  was 
found  to  be  a  piece  of  money.  It  was  octagonal  in 
shape  and  had  hieroglyphics  on  it,  which  could  not  be 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED.  95. 

deciphered,  but  which  were  evidently  meant  to  repre- 
sent the  value  of  the  piece.  *  *  It  is  claimed  by  anti- 
quarians here  that  the  bricks  and  coin  are  the  relics  of 
a  prehistoric  race  which  lived  here  many  years  before 
the  Indians,  and  built  the  pavements  and  roads  which 
were  discovered  at  Memphis,  on  the  other  side  of  the 
river  above  here." — Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  Leader, 
November  6,  1891. 

Among  relics  found  at  Circleville,  Ohio,  a  coin  is 
mentioned  by  Priest. 

''Near  the  same  place  was  dug  up  from  beneath 
the  roots  of  a  hickory  tree,  seven  feet  eight  inches,  in 
circumference,  a  copper  coin,  bearing  no  comparison 
with  any  coin  known." — American  Antiquities,  p.  175. 
Another  coin  is  described  on  page  260. 

**At  the  meeting  of  the  Tennessee  Historical  So- 
ciety at  Nashville,  Tuesday  night,  there  was  a  letter 
read  from  W.  E.  McElwee,  of  Rockwood,  Tennessee, 
describing  a  coin  found  in  an  Indian  mound  in  that 
country.  It  bears  an  urn  burning  incense  on  one  side, 
with  the  inscription  in  Hebrew,  'shekel  of  Israel.'  On 
the  other  is  a  fig  or  olive  branch,  and  the  words  in  He- 
brew, 'Jerusalem,  the  holy  land.'  A  similar  coin  was 
exhibited,  but  how  the  coin  got  into  the  mound  is  a 
matter  of  mystery." — Stephenson  (Alabama)  Chronicle, 
of  February  20th,  1894. 

"A  round  copper  coin  with  a  serpent  stamped  on 
it  was  found  at  Palenque,  and  T  shaped  copper  coins 
are  very  abundant  in  the  ruins  of  Central  America." — 
Atlantis,  p.  245. 


96:        ,  THE    BOOK    UNSEALED. 


CHAPTER  X. 
METALS,   IMPLEMENTS  AND  INSTRUMENTS.. 

The  Book  of  Mormon  on  pages  43,  64,  394,  and 
520,  as  also  elsewhere,  mentions  gold,  silver,  brass, 
copper,  steel  and  iron.  The  ancient  Americans  were 
supposed  to  have  used  stone  for  tools,  but  not  the  sev- 
eral precious  metals;  and  for  years  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon was  alone  in  this  claim,  for  the  use  of  metals  on 
the  western  continent. 

"The  Peruvians  had  such  immense  numbers  of 
vessels,  and  ornaments  of  gold  that  the  Inca  paid  with 
them  a  ransom  for  himself  to  Pizzaro  of  the  value  of 
fifteen  million  dollars." — Atlantis,  p.  142. 

"The  Peruvians  called  gold,  'The  tears  wept  by 
the  sun.'  *  *  The  great  temple  of  the  sun  at  Cuzco  was 
called  the  'Place  of  Gold.'  It  was  as  I  have  shown 
literally  a  mine  of  gold.'  Walls,  cornices,  statuary, 
plate,  ornaments,  all  were  of  gold;  the  very  sewer- 
pipes  and  aqueducts,  even  the  agricultural  implements 
used  in  the  garden  of  the  temple  were  of  gold  and  siL 
ver. '  The  value  of  the  jewels  which  adorned  the  temple 
Was  equal  to  one  hundred  and  eighty  millions  of  dol- 
lars. "^Atla:titis,  pp.  345. 

In  speaking  of  Costa  Rica,  Mr.  Bancroft  says: 
"Mr.  Boyle  makes  the  general  statement  that  gold  or- 
naments and  idols  are  constantly  found,  and  that  the 
ancient   mines  which   supplied  the   precious   metal   are 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED.  97; 

often  seen  by  modern  prospectors." — Native  Races, 
Pacific  States,  Vol.  4,  p.  23. 

''Montezuma,  in  his  diplomacy,  presents  to  Cortez, 
on  his  arrival  to  Mexico,  gold  and  native  fabrics  of  the 
most  delicate  character;  shields,  helmets,  cuirasses, 
collars,  bracelets,  sandals,  fans,  pearls,  precious  stones, 
loads  of  cotton  cloth,  extraordinary  manufactures  of 
feathers,  circular  plates  of  gold  and  silver,  as  large  as 
carriage  wheels." — HistoFy  of  Mexico,  New  Mexico 
and  California,  Vol.  i,  p.  26. 

"Calendars  made  of  gold  and  silver  were  common 
in  Mexico.  Before  Cortez  reached  the  capitol,  Monte- 
zuma sent  him  two  *as  large  as  cart  wheels,'  one  repre- 
senting the  sun,  the  other  the  moon,  both  'richly 
carved.'  It  was  with  articles  of  this  gold  work  that  the 
Inca  Alahullpa  filled  a  room  in  his  vain  endeavor  to 
purchase  release  from  captivity.  One  of  the  old 
chroniclers  mentions  ^statuary,  jars,  vases  and  every 
species  of  vessels,  all  of  fine  gold.  *  *  An  artificial  gar- 
den *  *  of  fine  gold,  *  *  more  than  twenty  sheep 
(llamas)  with  their  lambs,  attended  by  shepherds,  all 
made  of  gold.'  *  *  In  the  course  of  twenty-five  years 
after  the  conquest,  the  Spandiards  sent  from  Peru  to 
Spain  more  than  four  hundred  million  ducats  ($800,- 
000,000)  worth  of  gold." — Baldwin's  Ancient  America, 
pp.  215,  249,  :^5o.  Donnely  gives  substantially  the 
same  account  on  page  395  of  Atlantis. 

"Gold  ornaments  are  said  to  have  been  found  in 
several  tumuli.  Silver,  very  well  plated  on  copper,  has 
been  found  in  several  mounds,  besides  those  of  Circle- 
ville  and  Marietta.  An  ornament  of  copper  was  found 
in  a  stone  mound  near  Chillicothe;  it  was  a  bracelet 
fdf  the  ankle  or  wrist."— J*riest's  Amer.  Ant.,  p.  221. 


98.  THK    BOOK     UNSEALED. 

"Silver  was  accessible  in  such  quantities  that 
Pizarro  found  in  it  a  substitute  for  iron  to  shoe  the  horses 
of  his  cavalry.  Copper  and  tin,  in  like  manner, 
abounded  in  the  mountains,  and  the  Peruvians  had 
learned  to  alloy  the  copper,  both  with  tin  and  silver. 
*  *  Discovery  of  well  adjusted  silver  balances  in  some 
of  the  tombs  of  the  Incas,  shows  that  they  made  use  of 
weights  in  determining  the  value  of  their  commodities." 
— Prehistoric  Man,  Geo.  Wilson,  Vol.  i,  page  440. 

Mr.  Squire  says:  "These  articles  have  been  criti- 
cally examined  and  it  is  beyond  doubt  that  the  copper 
bosses  were  absolutely  plated,  not  simply  overlaid  with 
silver.  Between  the  copper  and  the  silver  exists  a  con- 
nection such  as  it  seems  to  me  could  only  be  produced 
by  heat,  and  if  it  is  admitted  that  these  are  genuine  rel- 
ics of  the  Mound  Builders,  it  must  at  the  same  time  be 
admitted  they  possessed  the  difficult  art  of  plating  one 
metal  upon  another." — Atlantis,  p.  378. 

Priest  says:  "In  many  instances  articles  made  of 
copper  and  sometimes  plated  with  silver  have  been  met 
with  on  opening  their  (Mound  Builders)  works,  circu- 
lar pieces  of  copper  intended  either  as  medals  or  breast 
plates,  have  been  found  several  inches  in  diameter, 
very  much  injured  by  time. " — Inquiry  Origin  American 
Antiquities,  p.  263. 

"In  South  America  *  *  many  interesting  speci- 
mens have  been  exhumed.  *  *  'Among  these,' says  Dr. 
Reese,  'are  mirrors  of  various  dimensions  of  hard  shin- 
ing stones,  highly  polished,  *  *  hatchets  and  other  in- 
struments, *  *  some  were  of  flint,  some  of  copper, 
hardened  by  an  unknown  process  to  such  a  degree  as  to 
supply  the  place  of  iron."f — Mayer's  Mexico,  p.  227. 

Bryant  describes  copper  instruments  found  in  Wis- 


THE    BOOK    UNSRALKD,  99. 

consin:  "An  adz  with  wings  for  fitting.  An  arrow 
head  with  wings  for  fitting  to  arrow.  A  knife  with 
socket  for  handle.  A  chisel  apparently  cast,  the  rough- 
ness showing  sand-mould,  and  white  spots  of  melted 
silver.  An  awl.  A  spear  head,  eleven  inches  in 
length  with  socket  for  handle." — History  U.  S.,  Vol.   i, 

P-  31- 

Of  discoveries  at  Circleville,  Ohio,  Priest  says: 
'*On  this  mirror  was  a  plate  of  iron  which  had  become 
an  oxide;  but  before  it  was  disturbed  by  the  spade,  re- 
sembled a  plate  of  cast  iron." — Priest's  American  An- 
tiquities, pp.  178-9.  The  size  of  mirror  mentioned  is 
given  as  one  and  a  half  by  three  feet. 

*'  'But  besides  this,  there  have  been  found  very  well 
manufactured  swords  and  knives  of  iron  and  possibly 
STEEL,'  says  Mr.  Atwater." — Ibid.,  p.  265. 

Priest  gives  the  following  account:  "In  1826  near 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  a  gentlemen  dug  a  well.  At  the 
depth  of  eighty  feet  there  appeared  the  stump  of  a  tree 
three  feet  in  diameter  and  two  feet  high,  which  had 
been  cut  down  with  an  axe.  The  blows  were  yet  visi- 
ble." Mr.  Priest's  fourth  reflection  is:  "Ancient 
Americans  were  acquainted  with  the  use  and  properties 
of  iron.  The  rust  of  the  axe  was  on  tap  of  the  stump 
when  discovered." — Priest's  American  Antiquities,  p. 
129. 

Mr.  Priest  mentions  two  more  wells;  one  ninety,  and 
another  ninty-four  feet  deep,  each  containing  a  stump 
of  a  tree.  Of  the  second  he  says:  "Another  stump 
was  found  at  ninety-four  feet  below  the  surface  which 
had  evident  marks  of  an  axe;  and  on  its  top  there  ap- 
peared as  if  some  iron  tool  had  been  consumed  by 
rust." — Page  139. 


lOO.  THK    BOOK    UNSEALED. 

"A  piece  of  a  cast  iron  vessel  was  taken  out  of  the 
circular  embankment  at  Circleville,  Ohio." — ^Priest's 
American  Antiquities,  p.  175. 

Another  find  is  recorded  on  page  260.  In  caves 
on  the  Gasconade  river,  a  tributary  of  the  Missouri 
river,  were  found  **axes  and  hammers  made  of  iron." 
— Ibid.,  239. 

**In  December,  1827,  a  planter  of  South  America 
discovered  in  a  tomb  of  masonry,  two  extremely  ancient 
swords,  a  helmet  and  shield,  which  had  suffered  much 
from  rust." — Ibid.,  p.  47. 

Priest  mentions  articles  found  in  digging  the 
Louisville  canal.  "Medals  of  copper  and  silver  swords, 
and  other  implements  of  iron."  *'Mr.  Flint  assures  us 
that  he  has  seen  these  strange  ancient  swords.  He 
also  examined  a  small  iron  shoe,  like  a  horse  shoe,  en- 
crusted with  the  rust  of  ages,  and  found  far  beneath  the 
soil,  and  the  copper  axe  weighing  about  two  pounds, 
singularly  tempered,  and  of  peculiar  construction." — 
American  Antiquities,  p.  378. 

"  *It  is  remarkable,'  says  Molina,  'that  iron  which 
has  been  thought  unknown  to  the  Ancient  Americnas, 
had  particular  names  in  sorrie  of  their  tongues.  In 
official  Peruvian  it  was  called,  quillary;  and  in  Chilian, 
panillic.  The  Mound  Builders  fashioned  implements 
out  of  meteoric  iron.'  " — Atlantis,  p.  451. 

Again  he  says:  ''We  find  the  remains  of  an  iron 
sword  and  meteoric  weapons  in  the  mounds  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi Valley,  while  the  name  of  the  metal  is  found  in 
the  ancient  languages  of  Peru  and  Chili>  and  the  Incas 
worked  in  iron  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Titicaca." — Ibid., 
p.  462. 

"Near  the  falls  of  Ohio,  six  brass  ornaments  such 


THK    BOOK    UNSEALED.  lOl 

as  soldiers  usually  wear  in  front  of  their  belts,  was  dug 
up,  attached  to  six  skeletons." — Priest's  American  An- 
tiquities, p.  232. 

Of  discoveries  in  New  York:  ''In  Scipio  on  Sal- 
mon Creek,  a  Mr.  Halstead  has  from  time  to  time,  dur- 
ing ten  years  past,  ploughed  up  *  *  seven  or  eight 
hundred  pounds  of  brass,  which  appeared  to  have  once 
been  formed  into  various  implements,  both  of  husban- 
dry and  war;  helmets  and  working  utensils  mingled  to- 
gether."—  Ibid.,  p.  261. 

Of  relics  found  in  mound  at  Marietta,  Ohio:  "Three 
large  circular  ornaments  which  had  adorned  a  sword 
belt  or  buckler,  and  were  composed  of  copper,  overlaid 
with  a  plate  of  silver." — Ibid.,  p.  268. 

Priest,  writing  of  the  town  of  Pompey,  Onondago 
county.  New  York,  says:  ''In  Pompey,  on  lot  four- 
teen, is  the  site  of  an  ancient  burying  ground,  upon 
which,  when  the  country  was  first  settled,  was  found 
timber,  growing  apparently,  of  the  second  growth,  judg- 
ing from  the  old  timber,  reduced  to  mold,  lying  around 
which  was  one  hundred  years  old,  ascertained  by  count- 
ing the  concentric  grains.  In  one  of  those  graves  was 
found  a  glass  bottle.  *  *  In  the  same  grave  with  the 
bottle  was  foand  an  iron  hatchet  edged  with  steel.  *  * 
In  the  same  town,  on  lot  number  seventeen,  was  found 
the  remains  of  a  blacksmith's  forge;  at  this  spot  have 
been  ploughed  up  crucibles,  such  as  mineralogists  use  in 
refining  metals." — Priest's  American  Antiquities,  p.  260. 

Priest  says:  "In  Virginia,  near  Blacksburg,  eighty 
miles  from  Marietta,  there  was  found  the  half  of  a  steel 
BOW,  which  when  entire  would  have  measured  five  or 
six  feet." — Priest's  American  Antiquities,  p.  176. 
(Edition  of  1833.) 


I02.  THE    BOOK    UNSP:ALKD. 

"In  Liberiy  township,  Washington  county,  Ohio, 
are  yet  to  be  seen  twenty  or  thirty  rude  furnaces,  per- 
haps used  in  smelting  ore.  Large  trees  are  still  grow- 
ing on  them  and  attest  their  age.  They  stand  in  the 
midst  of  a  rich  body  of  iron  ore,  and  in  a  wild,  hilly, 
rough  part  of  the  country,  better  adapted  to  manufac- 
ture than  to  agriculture." —Delafield's  x'^merican  An- 
tiquities, p.  55. 

Large  earthen  vessel.  "It  was  twelve  feet  across  the 
top  and  of  consequence  thirty-six  feet  in  circumference, 
and  otherwise  of  proportioned  depth  and  form." — 
Priest's  American  Antiqiiities,  p.  112. 

Jones  says:  "In  1834,  Colonels  Meriwether  and 
Lumsden,  while  engaged  in  digging  a  canal  in  Dukes 
Creek  Valley,  Georgia,  *  *  unearthed  a  subterraneous 
village  *  *  of  thirty-four  small  cabins.  *  *  They  were 
made  of  logs  hewn  at  the  ends  and  notched  down.  *  * 
This  hewing  and  notching  had  evidently  been  done  with 
sharp  metallic  tools,  the  marks  being  such  as  would 
have  been  caused  by  a  chopping  axe.  *  *  Eleven  old 
shafts  have  been  found  varying  in  dei)th  from  ninety 
to  one  hundred  feet.  *  *  In  1854  one  *  *  was  cleaned 
out,  *  *  at  ninety  feet  was  found  a  windlass  of  post- 
oak  well  hewn,  with  an  inch  auger  hole  bored  through 
each  end.  Distinct  traces  appeared  where  it  had  been 
banded  with  iron.  *  *  The  presence  of  iron  and  the 
marks  of  sharp  metallic  tools  prove  that  these  ancient 
mining  operations  cannot  be  referred  to  the  labor  of 
the  Indians." — Antiquity  of  Southern  Indians,  pp. 
48-9. 

GRF.AT    WORKS. 

"The  most  astonishing  remains  are  found  still 
farther  south,   in   Chiapa,   Tabasco,   Oxaca,   Yucatan, 


THK    BOOK    UNSEALED.  I03. 

Honduras,  Tehauntepec,  Guatemala  and  other  parts  of 
Central  America,  *  *  of  great  cities  and  temples." — 
Baldwin's  Ancient  America,  p.  77. 

"'I'he  pyramid  of  Cholulu  covers  an  area  of  forty- 
five  acres.  It  was  terraced  and  built  with  four  stages. 
When  measured  by  Humboldt  it  was  fourteen  hundred 
feet  square  at  the  base,  and  one  hundred  and  sixty  feet 
high.  *  *  Thousands  of  other  monun';trnts,  unrecorded 
*  *  invest  every  sierra  and  valley  of  Mexico  with  pro- 
found interest." — Ibid.,  pp.   90-1. 

"Another  class  of  these  antiquities  consists  of  en- 
closures formt-d  by  heavy  embankments  of  earth  and 
stone.  There  is  nothing  to  explain  these  constructions 
so  clearly  as  to  leave  no  roojn  for  conjecture  and  spec- 
ulation It  has  been  suggested  that  some  of  them  may 
have  been  intended  for  defense,  others  for  religious 
purposes.  A  portion  of  them,  it  may  be,  encircled  vil- 
lages and  towns.  In  some  cases,  the  ditches  or  fosses 
were  on  the  inside,  in  others,  on  the  outside.  *  *  Lines 
of  embankment,  varying  from  five  to  thirty  feet  in 
height,  and  enclosing  from  one  to  fifty  acres,  are  very 
common,  while  inclosures  containing  from  one  hundred 
to  two  hundred  acres  are  not  infrequent,  and  occasion- 
ally, works  are  found,  inclosing  as  many  as  four  hun- 
dred acres.  *  *  About  one  hundred  inclo  ures  and  five 
hundred  mounds  have  been  examined  in  Ross  county, 
Ohio.  The  number  of  mounds  in  the  whole  state  is  es- 
timated at  over  ten  thousand,  and  the  number  of  in- 
closures at  more  than  fifteen  hundred.  *  *  They  were 
constructed  with  a  geometrical  precision  which  implies 
a  kind  of  knowledge  in  the  builders  that  may  be  called 
scientific." — Baldwin's  Ancient  America,  pp.  19,  20,23, 
24,  39- 


I04.  THE    BOOK    UNSEALKD. 

"The  number  and  frequency  of  tumuli  through 
the  country,  have  led  the  writer  to  believe  that  they 
have  not  only  been  used  as  the  last  home  of  the  war- 
rior and  his  family,  but  that  they  served  as  scopuloi, 
or  beacons,  and  points  of  observation,  connecting  the 
large  and  extensive  castra." — Delafield's  American  An- 
tiquities, p.  54. 

Compare  with  the  above  the  Book  of  Mormon,  pp. 

337,  341,  344,  346. 

See  Prescott's  Peru,  as  cited  by  Donnelly  on  Pub- 
lic Works:  "The  American  nations  built  public  works 
as  great  as,  or  greater  than  any  known  in  Europe.  The 
Peruvians  had  public  roads,  one  thousand  five  hundred 
to  two  thousand  miles  long,  made  so  thoroughly  as  to 
elicit  the  astonishment  of  the  Spaniards.  At  every  few 
miles  taverns  or  hotels  were  established  for  the  accom- 
modation of  travelers.  Humboldt  pronounced  these 
Peruvian  roads  'among  the  most  useful  and  stupendous 
works  ever  executed  by  man.'  They  built  aqueducts 
for  purposes  of  irrigation,  some  of  which  were  five  hun- 
dred miles  long.  They  constructed  magnificent  bridges 
of  stone,  and  had  even  invented  suspension  bridges 
thousands  of  years  before  they  were  introduced  into 
Europe.  They  had,  both  in  Peru  and  Mexico,  a  sys- 
tem of  posts,  by  means  of  which  news  was  transmitted 
hundreds  of  miles  in  a  day,  precisely  like  those  known 
among  the  Persians  in  the  time  of  Herodotus,  and  sub 
sequently  among  the  Romans.  Stones  similar  to  mile- 
stones were  placed  along  the  roads  in  Peru." — Atlantis, 
pp.  141-2. 

Baldwin  says  in  relation  to  mining:  "Remains  of 
their  mining  works  were  first  discovered  in  1848  by 
Mr.  S.  O.  Knapp,  agent  of  the  Minnesota  mining  com- 


THE    BOOK    UNSF.ALED.  IO5. 

pany,  and  in  1849  they  were  described  by  Dr.  Charles 
T.  Jackson,  in  his  geographical  report  to  the  national 
government."' — Ancient  America,  p.  43. 

"Mr.  Knapp  discovered  a  detatched  mass  of  cop- 
per weighing  nearly  six  tons." — Ibid.,  p.  43. 

"All  who  have  examined  these  works  agree  with 
Colonel  Whittlesy  that  they  (Mound  Builders)  worked 
the  Lake  Superior  copper  mines  for  a  great  length  of 
time." — Ibid.,  53. 

"We  find  one  feature  common  to  the  architectural 
genius  of  these  races,  which  is  to  be  discovered  no- 
where else.  We  allude  to  the  surprising  mechanical 
power  they  must  have  employed  in  constructing  their 
works  of  massive  masonry,  such  as  the  present  race  of 
man  has  attempted  in  vain  to  move.  Travelers  in 
Egypt  invariably  are  filled  with  amazement  at  the  stu- 
pendous blocks  of  stone  with  which  the  pyramids,  tem- 
ples and  tombs  are  constructed,  and  the  size  of  the  ob- 
elisks and  monuments  yet  remaining.  In  Peru  the  same 
is  observed.'' — Delafield's  American  Antiquities,  p.  59. 

"It  surprised  me  to  see  these  enormous  gateways 
made  of  great  masses  of  stone,  some  of  which  were 
thirty  feet  long,  fifteen  feet  high  and  six  feet  thick.  *  * 
In  one  case,  large  masses  of  sculptured  stone,  ten  yards 
in  length  and  six  in  width,  were  used  to  make  grinding 
stones  for  a  chocolate  mill." — Baldwin's  Ancient  Amer- 
ica, p.  233. 

"Ruins  of  towns,  castles,  fortresses  and  other  struc- 
tures are  found  all  about  the  country.  *  *  It  is  noticed 
everywhere  that  the  ancient  Peruvians  made  large  use 
of  aqueducts,  which  they  built  with  notable  skill,  using 
hewn  stones  and  cement,  and  making  them  very  sub- 
stantial.     Some  of  them   are  still  in  use.       They  were 


Io6.  THK    BOOK    UNSEALED. 

used  to  carry  water  to  the  cities  and  to  irrigate  the  ciil- 
tivate(i  lands.  A  few  of  them  were  very  Jong.  There 
is  mention  of  one  which  was  one  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  long,  and  of  another  which  was  extended  four 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  across  sierras  and  over  rivers, 
from  south  to  north. "--Ibid  ,  243. 

"The  American  nations  built  public  works  as  great 
or  greater  than  any  known  in  Europe.  *  *  Huinbolt 
pronounces  these  Peruvian  roads,  'among  the  most  use- 
ful and  stupendous  works  ever  executed  by  man.'  They 
built  aqueducts  for  purposes  of  irri.s:alion,  some  of 
which  were  five  hundred  miles  long.  They  constructed 
magnificent  bridges  of  stone,  and  had  even  invented 
suspension  bridges  thousands  of  years  before  they  were 
introduced  into  Europe.  They  had,  both  in  Peru  and 
Mexico,  a  system  of  posts,  by  means  of  which  news 
was  transmitted  hundreds  of  miles  a  day." — Atlantis, 
p.  141-2. 

THE  GREAr  PERUVIAN  ROADS. 

"Nothing  in  ancient  Peru  was  more  remarkable 
than  the  public  roads.  No  ancient  people  has  left 
traces  of  works  more  astonishing  than  these,  so  vast  was 
their  extent,  and  so  great  the  skill  and  labor  required 
to  construct  theni.  One  of  these  roals  ran  along  the 
mountains  through  the  whole  length  of  the  empire, 
from  Quito  to  Chili.  Another,  starting  from  Cuzco, 
went  down  to  the  coast  and  extended  northward  to  the 
equator.  These  roads  were  built  on  beds  or  deep  un- 
derstructures  of  masonry.  The  width  of  the  roadways 
varied  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  feet,  and  they  were 
made  level  and  smooth  by  paving,  and  in  some  places 
by  a  sort  of  macadamizing  with  pulverized  stone  mixed 
with  lime  and   bituminous    cement.     This  cement    was 


THE    BOOK    UNSKALED.  TO7. 

used  in  all  the  masonry.  On  each  side  of  the  roadway 
was  a  very  strong  wall  more  than  a  fathom  in  thickness. 
This  road  went  over  marshes,  rivers,  and  great  chasms 
of  the  sierras,  and  through  rocky  precipices  and  moun- 
tain-sides.  The  great  road  passing  along  the  mountains 
was  a  marvelous  work.  In  many  places  its  way  was 
cut  through  rock  for  leagues.  Great  ravines  were  filled 
up  with  solid  masonry  Rivers  were  crossed  by  means 
of  a  curious  kind  of  suspension  bridges,  and  no  ob- 
struction was  encountered  which  the  builders  did  not 
overcome.  The  builders  of  our  Pacific  Railroad,  with 
their  superior  engineering  skill  and  mechanical  appli- 
ances, might  reasonably  shrink  from  the  cost  and  the 
difficulties  ©-f  such  a  work  as  this.  Extending  from  one 
degree  north  of  Quito  to  Cuzco,  and  from  Cuzco  to 
Chili,  it  was  quite  as  long  as  the  two  Pacific  railroads, 
and  its  wild  route  among  the  mountains  was  far  more 
difficult.  *  *  Along  these  roads  at  equal  distances  were 
edifices,  a  kind  of  caravanseras,  built  of  hewn  stone, 
for  the  accommodation  of  travelers." — Baldwin's  An- 
cient America,  pp.  243,  244-5.      ^^^o  Atlantis,  392-5. 

The  class  of  works  found  in  chapter  four,  setting 
forth  clearly  the  civilizations  of  ancient  America,  to- 
gether with  the  stupendous  works  named  in  this  chap- 
ter, especially  the  great  Peruvian  roads,  will  convince 
reasonable  minds  that  the  metals,  and  especially  stekl, 
was  in  common  use.  To  grant  that  such  tasks  were 
performed  without  it,  would  be  to  admit  for  those  an- 
cient workmen  far  more  skill  than  if  they  possessed  it. 

Since  the  confusion  of  Babel  was  followed  bv  the 
scattering  of  man  from  "Thence  upon  the  face  of  all 
the  earth,"  (Gen.  11:8)  and  as  a  knowledge  of  metals 
must  then  have  been  obtained  in  order  to  the  building 


108.  THE    BOOK    UNSEALED. 

of  the  ark,  there  is  no  reason  why  the  knowledge  of  the 
metals  may^not  have  been  brought  to  the  western  con- 
tinent by  its  first  inhabitants. 

Wilkinson  says:  "Iron  and  copper  mines  are 
found  in  the  Egyptian  desert  which  were  worked  in  old 
times,  and  the  monuments  of  Thebes  and  even  their 
tombs  about  Memphis,  dating  more  than  four  thousand 
years  ago,  represent  butchers  sharpening  their  knives 
on  a  round  bar  of  metal,  attached  to  their  aprons, 
which  from  its  blue  color  can  only  be  steel;  and  the 
distinction  between  the  bronzed  and  iron  weapons  in 
the  tomb  of  Ramase&,  III,  one  painted  red  and  the  other 
blue,  leaves  no  doubt  of  both  having  been  used  (as  in 
Rome)  at  the  same  period." — American  Ervcyclopedia, 
Vol.  9,  p.  585. 

The  Nephites  used  a  compass  or  instrument  simi- 
lar to  it,  as  recorded  in  the  Book  of  Mormon.  Of  the 
compass,  Donelly  says:  "In  A.  D.  868  it  was  em- 
ployed by  the  Northmen."  (The  Landnamabok,  Vol. 
I,  chap.  2.) 

An  Italian  poem  of  A.  D.  1190,  referred  to  it  as  in 
use  among  the  Italian  sailors  at  that  date.  In  the  an- 
cient language  of  the  Hindoos,  the  Sanscrit,  which  has 
been  a  dead  language  for  a  period  of  twenty-two  hun- 
dred years,  the  magnet  was  called  "The  precious  stone 
beloved  of  Iron."  The  Talmud  speaks  of  it  as  "The 
stone  of  attraction,"  and  it  is  alluded  to  in  the  early 
Hebrew  prayers  as  "kalamitah,"  the  name  given  it  by 
the  Greeks,  from  the  reed  upon  which  the  compass 
floated. 

In  the  year  2700  B.  C.  the  Emperor  (of  China) 
Wangti,  placed  a  magnetic  figure  with  an  extended  arm, 
like  the  Astarte  of  the  Phoenicians,  oti  the  front  of  car- 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED.  IO9. 

riages,  the  arm  always  turning  and  pointing  to  the 
south,  which  the  Chinese  regarded  as  the  principal 
pole." — Atlantis,  pp.  440-1. 

The  Chinese  invented  the  mariner's  compass  eleven 
centuries  before  Christ.  See  Light  in  Darkness,  by 
J.  E.  &  A.  H.  Godbey,  p.  289. 

*<The  earliest  references  to  the  use  of  the  compass 
are  to  be  found  in  Chinese  history.  *  *  In  the  sixty- 
fourth  year  of  the  reign  of  Ho-ang-ti,  2634,  B.  C." — 
Encyclopedia  Britannica. 

Chambers  gives  it  the  same  date  and  the  Chinese 
the  credit  of  its  invention.  , 

''The  ancients  discovered  the  rotundity  of  the 
earth,  and  the  difference  of  local  time,  and  of  the  hour 
of  the  day  between  places  of  different  longitude;  knew 
the  causes  and  laws  of  eclipses  and  constructed  tables 
which  give  the  motion  of  the  sun,  moon  and  stars,  and 
the  annual  revolution  of  the  sun  was  mapped  out  and 
divided  into  twelve  signs  known  as  the  zodiac,  was  pre- 
served in  the  'Almagest'  of  Ptolemy,  a' work  which  re- 
mained authority  for  sixteen  hundred  years." — John- 
son's Universal  Encyclopedia. 

"The  astronomical  tables  sent  by  Alexander  the 
Great  to  Aristotle,  show  that  observations  had  been 
taken  by  the  Babylonians  which  reached  to  2234  years 
B.  C." — Encyclopedia  Religious  Knowledge,  read  page 

163-5- 

Mr.  P.  C.  Truman,  before  the  Shelby  county 
(Iowa)  Normal  Institute,  September  7th,  1876,  said: 

"Let  us  turn  for  a  moment  to  our  own  contineat 
and  then  I  am  done.  When  and  by  whom  America  was 
first  settled  is  yet  unknown.  Geologists  tell  us  it  is  the 
older  continent,  and  some  claim  that  it  was  first  inhab- 


no.  THE    BOOK    UNSKALED. 

ited.  This  much  we  do  know:  Ages  before  Columbus 
ever  saw  it^sliore,  America  contained  great  cities  and 
mighty  empires.  When  the  Spaniards  conquered  Mex- 
ico and  Central  America,  the  ruins  of  a  civilization, 
long  preceding  that  of  the  Aztecs,  were  hidden  by  the 
forests  of  Yucatan  and  Honduras,  and  the  natives  of 
those  places  had  no  tradition  even  of  who  had  built  or 
destroyed  them.  Scattered  over  the  whole  United 
States  are  the  remains  of  a  people,  perhaps  as  different 
from  the  wild  Indians  as  we  are.  That  they  had  at- 
tained a  good  degree  of  culture  is  abundantly  proved; 
that  the  country  was, thickly  peopled  is  very  evident, 
but  who  they  were,  whence  they  came,  and  what  con- 
vulsion of  nature  or  politics  swept  them  away,  are  un- 
solved problems.  When  the  Spaniards  over-ran  Mexico 
and  Peru,  they  found  those  empires  already  in  a  de- 
cline. A  galloping  consumption  set  in,  and  in  about 
two  hundred  years,  those  delightful  specimens  of  Chris- 
tianity civilized  them  and  their  people  from  off  the 
face  of  the  earth.  The  whole  history  of  the  intercourse 
of  the  White  and  Indian  races,  had  been  marked  by 
fraud,  aggression  and  calculating  cruelty  on  the  one 
side,  and  ineffectual  resistance,  often  accompanied  by 
fiendish  barbarity,  on  the  other.  To  this  there  are  a 
few  pleasant  exceptions,  proving  that  it  need  not  have 
been.  The  peaceful,  honest  followers  of  Penn  were  not 
molested  by  the  Indians  while  other  colonies  were  con- 
tinually at  war  with  them.  The  Toltecs  and  Mound 
Builders  have  left  written  records,  but  their  works  are 
found  amid  the  forests  of  Central  America  and  in  the 
mountains  of  Colorado.  Traces  of  their  work  and  the 
stone,  bronze  and  copper  tools  with  which  that  work 
was  done,  are  found  in  the  copper  mines  of  Lake  Super- 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED.  III. 

ior  and  the  desert|  of  Arizona,  in  the  mounds  of  Ohio 
and  the  cliff  built  cities  of  New  Mexico.  And  the  ruins 
of  Palenque  and  Chichen-Itza  rival  those  of  Nineveh 
and  Palmyra  in  magnificence  and  extent.  One  by  one 
the  fads  are  being  gathered  that  will  some  day  enable 
us  to  write  a  history  of  these  people  that  ma^  be  toler- 
ably correct.  Still  it  must  not  be  supposed  that  they 
have  left  no  other  records.  The  Spaniards  found  books, 
written  in  the  Toltec  and  Maya  tongues,  a  few  of  which 
have  been  preserved.  What  fearful  calamity  so  utterly 
destroyed  these  people,  we  may  never  know.  They 
perished  centuries  ago  and  the  savage  Indians  took  their 
place." 


CHAPTER  XI. 

DATES  OF  AMERICAN  ANTIQUITIES. 
WHEN  PUBLISHED. 

As  to  whether  or  not, it  was  possible  for  Joseph 
Smith  to  haye  read  works  of  antiquity,  and  then  have 
written  the  Book  of  Mormon  in  conformity  with  the 
findings  of  the  explorers,  the  following  is  very  interest- 
ing: Bancroft  writes,  "Since  1830  the  veil  has  been 
lifted  from  the  principle  ruins  of  ancient  Maya  works, 
by  the  researches  of  Zalva,  Waldec,  Stephens,  Cather- 
wood,  Norman,  Fredderickstahl  and  Charney.  A  gen- 
eral account  of  the  antiquarian  writings  and  explora- 
tions of  these  gentlemen  is  given  in  the  appended  note, 
— It  will  be  noticed  that  all  the  authors  mentioned  who 
write  from  actual  observation,  have  confined  their  ob- 
servations to  from  ONE  to  four  of  the  principal   ruins, 


ri2.  THE    BOOK    UNSEALED. 

whose  existence  was  known  previous  to  their  visits,  ex- 
cepting Messrs.  Stephens  and  Catherwood.  These  gen- 
tlemen boldly  left  the  beaten  track  and  brought  to  the 
knowledge  of  the  world  about  forty  ruined  cities, 
whose  very  existence  had  been  previously  unknown 
even  to  the  residents  of  the  larger  cities  of  the  very 
state  in  whose  territory  they  lie.  *  *  The  visit  of 
these  explorers  was  the  first,  and  thus  far  proved,  in 
most  cases,  the  last." — Native  Races,  Vol.  4,  pp.  144- 
46. 

Mr.  David  S.  Banks,  who  went  from  New  York  to 
Yucatan  in  the  especial  interest  of  certain  departments 
of  scientific  knowledge  lets  light  shine  upon  several  top- 
ics that  are  strong  proofs  of  the  correctness  of  the  Book 
of  Mormon.  It  will  be  remembered  that  Stephens,  in 
1842,  gave  the  number  of  ruined  cities  at  forty-two, 
while  this  man  gives  an  increased  or  corrected  list  in 
1888,  as  follows:  "There  are  between  sixty  and 
seventy  ruined  cities  in  Yucatan,  as  far  as  they  have 
been    discovered." — Leslie's    Monthly,   May,    1889,   p. 

547- 

Of  Yucatan  Ruins,  Stephens  says:  "The  ruins  of 
Mayapan  cover  a  great  plain,  which  was  at  that  time  so 
overgrown  that  hardly  any  object  was  visible  until  we 
were  close  upon  it,  and  the  undergrowth  was  so  thick 
that  it  was  difficult  to  work  our  way  through  it.  Ours 
was  the  first  visit  to  examine  these  ruins.  For  ages 
they  had  been  unnoticed,  almost  unknown,  and  left  to 
struggle  with  rank  tropical  vegetation." — Incidents  of 
Travel  in  Yucatan,   Vol.  i,  p.  131. 

Short  says  of  Stephens  and  Catherwood:  "These 
indefatigable  explorers  examined  about  forty  ruined 
cities,  nearly  all  of  which  were  previously   unknown  to 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED.  II3. 

Others  than  the  natives,  and  many  of  them  were  un- 
known at  Merida,  the  capitol  of  the  country." — Ameri- 
can Antiquities,  p.  347.  (He  dates  Stephens'  first 
edition,  1843.) 

Baldwin  in  his  work  issued  187 1,  says  in  its  pre- 
face: "The  purpose  of  this  volume  is  to  give  a  sum- 
mary of  what*is  known  of  American  Antiquities.  *  * 
Many  of  the  more  important  of  these  works  are  either 
in  French  or  Spanish,  or  in  great  English  quartos  and 
folios  *  *  and  not  one  of  them  attempts  to  give  a  com- 
prehensive view  of  the  whole  subject." 

Baldwin  says  of  Central  America:  '^Palacios,  who 
described  Copan  in  1576,  may  properly  be  called  the 
first  explorer." — Ancient  America,  p.  102. 

The  discovery  by  Palacios  was  not  published  how- 
ever until  1843,  ^^^  ^^t  ^^  English  until  i860.  See 
Native  Races,  Vol.  4,  p.  79,  also  American  Encyclo- 
pedia, Article  Squier. 

In  his  "Origin  American  Antiquities,"  published  in 
1839,  page  eleven,  Delafield  says:  "The  antiquities  of 
America  are  an  immense  field  hardly  entered,  abound- 
ing in  promise  of  reward  for  the  most  devoted  investiga- 
tions." 

Priest  says 'in  his  book  of  1838:  "It  yet  remains 
for  America  to  awake  her  story  from  its  oblivious  sleep, 
and  tell  the  tale  of  her  antiquities,  the  traits  of  nations, 
coeval  perhaps,  with  the  oldest  works  of  man  this  side 
of  the  flood." — American  Antiquities,  p.  40. 

Baldwin  says:  "One  of  the  most  learned  writers 
on  American  antiquities,  a  Frenchman,  speaking  of  dis- 
coveries in  Peru,  exclaims,  'America  is  to  be  again  dis- 
covered!' *  *  The  gold  hunting  marauders  who  subju- 
gated Mexico  and  Peru  could  be  robbers  and  destroyers. 


114.  ''HK    BOOK    UNSEALED. 

but  they  were  not  qualified  in  any  respect  to  become 
intelligent  /Students  of  American  antiquity." — Ancient 
America,  p.    13. 

"But  it  remains  for  America  to  awake  her  story 
from  sleep,  to  string  lyre  and  nerve  the  pen,  to  tell  the 
tale  of  her  antiquities,  as  seen  in  the  relics  of  nations, 
coeval,  perhaps,  with  the  oldest  works  of  man." — Tra- 
ditions of  De-coo  dah  by  Wm.  Pidgeon,  (1853),  p.  11. 

Bancroft  writes:  "The  only  author  who  has  at- 
tempted to  treat  of  the  subject  of  Central  American 
Civilization,  and  antiquity  comprehensively  as  a  whole, 
is  the  Abbe  Brasseur  de  Bourbourg. " — Native  Races, 
Vol.  2,  p.  116.  The  work  cited  was  first  published  in 
1857-9.      See  American  Encyclopedia,  Vol.  3,  p.  214. 

He  further  writes:  "Of  all  American  peoples,  the 
Quichees  of  Guatemala  have  left  us  the  richest  mytho- 
logical legacy.  Their  description  of  the  creation  as 
given  in  the  Popol  Vuh,  which  may  be  called  the  na- 
tional book  of  the  Quichees,  in  its  rude,  strange  elo- 
quence and  poetic  originality,  one  of  the  rarest  relics 
of  aboriginal  thought." — Native  Races  Pacific  States, 
Vol.  3,  pp.  42,  43. 

"In  Vienna  in  1857,  the  book,  now  best  known  as 
the  Popol  Vuh,  was  first  brought  to  the  notice  of 
European  Scholars." — Ibid.,  p.  42. 

The  Book  of  Mormon  was  published  in  1830,  and 
so  gave  the  facts  twenty-seven  years  before  this  last 
mentioned  publication. 

Bancroft  writes:  "For  what  is  known  of  Copan, 
the  world  is  indebted  almost  entirely  to  the  works  of 
the  American  traveler,  Mr.  John  L.  Stephens,  and  of 
his  most  skillful  artist  companion,  Mr.  F.  Catherwood." 
— Native  Races,  Vol.  4,  p.  81. 


THE    BOOK    UNSKALED.  II5. 

These  gentlemen  were  sent  out  in  1839  by  the 
United  States  government.  Mr.  Stephens  wrote:  "I 
shall  make  one  remark  in  regard  to  the  work  of  Mr. 
Waldec  which  was  published  in  folio  in  Paris  in  1835, 
and  except  my  own  hurried  notice,  is  the  only  account 
that  has  ever  been  published  of  the  ruins  of  Uxmal, 
Yucatan." — Incidents  of  Travel,  Vol.   i,  p.  297. 

It  is  said  that  Humboldt  whose  work  was  published 
in  1809,  wrote  of  the  civilization  of  Central  America, 
but  Stephens  did  not  so  understand:  "The  first  new 
light  thrown  upon  this  subject  as  regards  Mexico  was 
by  the  great  Humboldt,  who  visited  that  country  at  a 
time  when,  by  the  jealous  policy  of  the  government  it 
was  almost  as  much  closed  against  strangers  as  China  is 
now.  No  man  could  have  better  deserved  such  for- 
tune. *  *  Unfortunately,  of  the  great  cities  beyond  the 
Vale  of  Mexico,  buried  in  forests,  ruined,  desolate,  and 
without  a  name,  Humboldt  never  heard,  or,  at  least,  he 
never  visited  them." — Incidents  of  Travel,  Vol.  i, 
p.  98. 

"The  study  of  the  great  architectural  works  of  the 
ancient  Mexican  and  Peruvians  led  Humboldt  to  inves- 
tigations of  their  languages,  records,  early  culture  and 
migrations." — American  Encyclopedia,  Vol.  9,  p.  45. 

Some,  who  are  totally  uninformed  upon  the  sub 
ject;  affirm  that  Kingsborough  wrote  upon  Central 
American  civilization  before  the  publication  of  the 
Book  of  Mormon.  In  answer  to  this  it  is  only  neces- 
sary to  state,  that  the  earliest  date  given  for  the  publi- 
cation of  Kingsborough's  work,  is  1830;  the  American 
Encyclopedia  gives  it  as  1831.  See  Prescott's  Con- 
quest of  Mexico,  Vol.  i,  p.  128;  and  American  Ency- 
clopedia, article  Kingsborough. 


Il6.  THK    BOOK    UNSEALED. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

JOSEPH  SMITH'S  OBJECT— A  VISION. 

"My  object  in  going  to  inquire  of  the  Lord,  was 
to  know  which  of  all  these  sects  was  right,  that  I  might 
know  which  to  join.  *  *  I  asked  the  personages,  who 
stood  above  me  in  the  light,  which  of  all  these  sects  was 
right, — for  at  that  time  it  had  never  entered  my  head 
that  all  were  wrong, — and  which  I  should  join.  I  was 
answered  that\I  should  join  none  of  them,  for  they  were 
all  wrong;  and  the  personage  who  addressed  me  said 
that  all  their  creeds  were  an  abomination  in  his  sight, 
that  those  professors  were  all  corrupt,  'They  draw  near 
me  with  their  lips,  but  their  hearts  are  far  from  me;' 
'They  teach  for  doctrine  the  commandments  of  men,' 
'having  a  form  of  godliness,  but  they  deny  the  power 
thereof.'  He  again  forbade  me  to  join  any  of  them." — 
Times  and  Seasons,  Vol.  3,  p.  727. 

On  the  eve  of  September  21st,  1823,  through  fer- 
vent prayer,  anoth'er  vision  was  presented  to  Mr.  Smith, 
and  he  gives  it,  in  part,  as  follows:  * 'After  I  had  re- 
tired to  my  bed  for  the  night,  I  betook  myself  to  prayer 
and  supplication  to  the  Almighty  God  for  forgiveness 
of  all  my  sins  and  follies,  and  also  for  a  manifestation 
to  me,  that  I  might  know  of  my  state  and  standing  be- 
fore him,  fori  had  full  confidence  in  obtaining  a  divine 
manifestation,  as  I  h^d  previously  had  one.  While  1 
was  thus  in  the  act  of  calling  upon  God,  I  discovered  a 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED.  II7. 

light  appearing  in  the  room,  which  continued  to  in- 
crease until  the  room  was  lighter  than  at  noonday, 
when  immediately  a  personage  appeared  at  my  bedside, 
standing  in  the  air,  for  his  feet  did  not  touch  the  floor. 
He  had  on  a  loose  robe  of  most  exquisite  whiteness.  It 
was  a  whiteness  beyond  anything  earthly  I  had  ever  seen, 
nor  do  I  believe  that  any  earthly  thing  could  be  made 
to  appear  so  exceedingly  white  and  brilliant.  His 
hands  were  naked,  and  his  arms  also  a  little  above  the 
wrists;  so,  also,  were  his  feet  naked,  as  were  his  legs, 
a  little  above  the  ankles.  His  head  and  neck  were  also 
bare.  I  could  discover  that  he  had  no  other  clothing 
on  but  this  robe,  as  it  was  open  so  that  I  could  see  in- 
to his  bosom.  Not  only  was  his  robe  exceedingly 
white,  but  his  whole  person  was  glorious  beyond  der 
scription,  and  his  countenance  truly  like  lightning. 
The  room  was  exceedingly  light,  but  not  so  very  bright 
as  immediately  around  his  person.  When  I  first  looked 
upon  him  I  was  afraid,  but  the  fear  soon  left  me.  He 
called  me  by  name,  and  said  unto  me,  that  he  was  a 
messenger  sent  from  the  presence  of  God  to  me,  and 
that  his  name  was  Moroni;  that  God  had  a  work  for 
me  to  do,  and  that  my  name  should  be  had  for  good 
and  evil  among  all  nations,  kindreds  and  tongues;  or 
that  it  should  be  both  good  and  evil  spoken  of  among 
all  people.  He  said  there  was  a  book  deposited,  writ- 
ten upon  gold  plates,  giving  an  account  of  the  former 
inhabitants  of  this  continent,  and  the  source  from 
whence  they  sprang.  He  also  said  that  the  fullness  of 
the  everlasting  gospel  was  contained  in  it,  as  delivered 
by  the  Savior  to  the  ancient  inhabitants.  Al'so,  that 
there  were  two  stones  in  silver  bows,  (and  these  stones, 
fastened  to  a  breastplate,  constituted  what  is  called  the 


Il8.  THE    BOOK    UNSEALED. 

Urim  and  Thumraim)  deposited  with  the  plates,  and 
the  possession  and  use  of  thes3  stones  was  what  consti- 
tuted seers,-  in  ancient  or  former  times,  and  that  God 
had  prepared  tliem  for  the  purpose  of  translating  the 
book." 

"After  telling  me  these  things,  he  commenced 
quoting  the  prophecies  of  the  Old  Testament.  He  first 
quoted  a  part  of  the  third  chapter  of  Malachi,  and  he, 
quoted,  also,  the  fourth  or  last  chapter  of  the  same 
prophecy,  though  with  a  little  variation  from  the  way 
it  reads  in  our  Bible.  Instead  of  quoting  the  ftrst  verse 
as  it  reads  in  our  book,  he  quoted  it  thus:  'For  be- 
hold, the  day  cometh,  that  shall  burn  as  an  oven,  and 
all  the  proud,  yea,  and  all  that  do  wickedly,  shall  burn 
as  stubble;  for  they  that  come  shall  burn  them,  saith 
the  Lord  of  Hosts,  that  it  shall  leave  them  neither  root 
nor  branch.'  And  again,  he  quoted  the  fifth  verse  thus: 
'Behold,  I  will  reveal  unto  you  the  priesthood,  by  the 
hand  of  Elijah  the  prophet,  before  the  coming  of  the 
great  and  dreadful  day  of  the  Lord.'  He  also  quoted 
the  next  verse  differently:  'And  he  shall  plant  in  the 
hearts  of  the  children  the  promises  made  to  the  fathers, 
and  the  hearts  of  the  children  shall  turn  to  their  fathers; 
if  it  were  not  so,  the  whole  earth  would  be  utterly  wast- 
ed at  his  coming.'  In  addition  to  these,  he  quoted  the 
eleventh  chapter  of  Isaiah,  saying  that  it  was  about  to 
be  fulfilled.  He  quoted,  also,  the  third  chapter  of 
Acts,  twenty-second  and  twenty-third  verses,  precisely 
as  they  stand  in  our  New  Testament.  He  said  that  that 
prophet  was  Christ;  but  the  day  had  not  yet  come  when 
'they  who  would  not  hear  his  voice  should  be  cut  off 
from  among  the  people,'  but  soon  would  come.  He 
also  quoted  the  second  chapter  of  Joel,  from  the  twenty- 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED.  II9. 

eighth  verse  to  the  last.  He  also  said  that  this  was  not 
yet  fulfilled,  but  was  soon  to  be.  And  he  further  stated, 
the  fullness  of  the  Gentiles  was  soon  to  come  in.  He 
quoted  many  other  passages  of  scripture,  and  offered 
many  explanations  which  cannot  be  mentioned  here. 
Again,  he  told  me  that  when  I  got  those  plates  of  which 
he  had  spoken, — for  the  time  that  they  should  be  ob- 
tained was  not  yet  fulfilled, — I  should  not  show  them 
to  any  person;  neither  the  breastplate  with  the  Urim 
and  Thummim;  only  to  those  to  whom  I  should  be  com- 
manded to  show  them.  If  I  did,  I  should  be  destroyed. 
While  he  was  conversing  with  me  about  the  plates,  the 
vision  was  opened  to  my  mind,  that  I  could  see  the 
place  where  the  plates  were  deposited,  and  that  so 
clearly  and  distinctly  that  I  knew  the  place  again  when 
I  visited  it. "—Times  and  Seasons,  Vol.  3,  p.  729. 


CHAPTER  Xni. 
THE  SEALED  BOOK  TO  COME    FORTH— FUL- 
FILLMENT OF  PSALM  85  AND  ISAIAH 
29— PALESTINE  RESTORED. 
The  Savior  said  (John  17:  17),  '  'Thy  word  is  truth. " 
The  Psalmist  said,  'T  will  hear  what  the  Lord  will 
speak,   for  he  will  speak  peace  unto  his  people." — Ps. 
85:  8.      In  verse  eleven  he  says:       ''Truth  shall  spring 
,out  of    the  earth,    and  righteousness    shall  look   down 
from  heaven."     Verse  twelve  states:       "Yea  the  Lord 
shall  give  that  which  is  good;  and  our  land  shall   yield 
her  increase." 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  (i)  that  the  Lord  was  to  speak 
unto  his  people;  and  (2)  that  associated  with  the  Lord 
speaking,    would,  be    the  coming  forth    of    "truth,"  a 


120.  THE    BOOK    UNSEALED. 

record  of  God's  ''word,"  ''out  of  the  earth;"  and  (3) 
that  at  that  time  the  Lord  was  to  bless  the  land  of  Pal- 
estine, and  give  his  people  "that  which  is  good,"  and 
the  "land"  which  had  been  under  the  curse  of  sterility, 
was  again  to  become  fertile  as  in  ancient  times. 

That  "truth"  should  "spring  out  of  the  earth,"  it 
was  necessary  that  it  should  have  been  reposed  to  its 
keeping,  to  come  forth  in  the  due  time  of  the  Lord. 
The  Book  of  Mormon  is  God's  word,  "truth,"  as  de- 
livered to  the  ancient  nations  of  America;  and  in  its 
coming  forth  "out  of  the  earth,"  clearly  fulfills  this 
prophecy  of  the  "sweet  singer  of  Israel." 

The  prophet  Isaiah,  in  chapter  twenty-nine,  begins 
with  vivid  expressions  of  "woe,"  "distress,"  "heavi- 
ness," and  "sorrow"  to  "Ariel,  the  city  where  David 
dwelt;"  and  in  the  latter  clause  of  verse  two,  introduces 
that  which  says:  "And  it  shall  be  unto  me  as  Ariel." 
This  that  "shall  be  unto  me  as  Ariel,"  is  none  other 
than  another  part  of  Israel,  included  in  his  prophecy, 
and  not  Jerusalem  alone.  In  chapter  eighteen  the 
prophet  has  described  the  Western  continent  both  as  .to 
its  form, and  location,  —  "Woe  to  the  land  shadowing 
with  wings,  which  is  beyond  the  rivers  of  Ethiopia." 
*^And  thou  shalt  be  brought  down,  and  shalt  speak  out 
of  the  ground,  and  thy  speech  shall  be  low  out  of  the 
dust."  (29:  4).  Being  "brought  down;"  "speak  out 
of  the  ground;"  "and  thy  speech  low  out  of  the  dust;" 
'^^whisper  out  of  the  dust,"  are  strange  particulars  to  be 
fulfilled  in  the  history  of  the  other  Ariel,  that  people  of 
whom  the  Savior  spoke:  "And  other  sheep  I  have 
which  are  not  of  this  fold,  [place]  them  also  must  I 
bring,  and  they  shall  hear  my  voice." — St.  John  10:  16. 
This   could  only  be  accomplished  by  the  coming  forth 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED.  12  1. 

of  the  records  of  a  people  perished  from  tlie  earth.  Of 
the  people  destroyed  at  Jerusalem,  no  record  of  which 
we  have  any  knowledge,  was  ever  deposited  in  the 
bosom  of  ^'mother  earth;"  and  therefore,  no  record  has 
ever  been  recovered  from  the  earth,  concerning  that 
people  and  the  times  in  which  they  lived.  And  now 
the  time  is  already  past  for  the  fulfillment  of  this  proph- 
ecy, as  we  shall  show  later  on. 

The  Israel  of  the  Western  continent,  committed 
their  records  to  the  earth;  and  that  they  have  been 
brought  forth,  is  fully  attested  by  evidence  which  can 
never  be  impeached.  The  prophecies  of  David  and 
Isaiafi  relate  to  the  same  subject,  and  are  as  one  in 
their  fulfillment,  while  Christ's  definition  of  ''truth"  is 
brought  out  in  bold  relief. 

The  people  of  to-day,  "The  day  of  His  prepara- 
tion," (see  Nahum  2:  34),  are  presented  with  the  record 
and  history  of  those  who  in  ages  past,  flourished  upon 
the  land  "choice  above  all  other  lands."  Verses  five 
and  six  deal  with  the  distress  and  destruction  to  be  vis- 
ited upon  that  people.  In  verses  seven  and  eight,  the 
"nations"  who  were  to  be  arrayed  against  Ariel,  or 
"fight  against  Mount  Zion,"  are  represented  as  a  hun- 
gry or  thirsty  man,  who  dreams  of  eating  and  drinking 
only  to  awaken*and  "Behold  he  is  faint,  and  his  soul 
hath  appetite."  These  "nations"  are  estranged  from 
God;  and  although  they  make  a  great  show  that  they 
are  on  the  Lord's  side,  and'are  fed  with  the  manna  from 
heaven,  yet  it  is  only  as  a  dream,  it  is  not  real.  A  mis- 
taken, apostate  Christianity  has  been  their  heritage, 
which  will  be  confessed  in  that  day  yet  to  come. 
Hence,  Jeremiah  prophesied:  "Gentiles  shall  come  un- 
to thee  from  the  ends  of  the  earth  and  shall  say,  'Surely 


122.  THE    BOOK    UNSKALKD. 

our  fathers  have  inherited  lies,  vanity,  and  things  wh.ere- 
in  there  is  no  profit.'  " — 16:  19. 

The  JLord  states  their  condition  in  Isaiah  29:  9,  as 
being  ''Drunken  but  not  with  wine,  they  stagger  but  not 
with  strong  drink."  Tliis  evidently  portrays  their 
spiritual  condition,  showing  them  to  be  spiritually 
drunk,  having  imbibed  of  false  doctrine  and  heresies, 
partaking  with  the  "great  Babylon  of  the  earth"  "the 
wine  of  the  wrath  of  her  fornication."  They  were  to  be 
without  present  revelation  from  God;  and  to  them  there 
was  to  be  "No  answer  from  God."  See  also  Micah 
3:6,  7.  The  tenth  verse  (Isaiah  29)  says:  "For  the 
Lord  hath  poured  out  upon  you  the  spirit  of  deep  lleep, 
and  hath  closed  your  eyes;  the  prophets  and  your  rul- 
ers, the  seers  hath  he  covered."  Truly  their  condition 
must  have  been  deplorable,  to  have  been  described  as 
drunken  and  sleepy,  hungry  and  athirst.  And  yet  this 
was  to  be  their  sad  state,  and  serves  but  to  illustrate 
the  necessity  of  living  prophets,  and  teachers  divinely 
APPOINTED  to  minister  the  word  of  life  unto  the  people. 
Verse  eleven  reads:  "And  the  vision  of  all  has  be- 
come unto  you,  as  the  words  of  a  book  that  is  sealed, 
which  men  deliver  to  one  that  is  learned,  saying,  read 
this  I  pray  thee;  and  he  saith,  I  cannot  for  it  is  sealed." 
"The  vision  of  all;"  the  writings  of  prophets  and  apos- 
tles as  found  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  were  to  be  pos- 
sessed by  that  people,  and  to  become  unto  them  "as 
the  words  of  a  book  that  is  *sealed."  They  were  to  be 
without  that  inspiration  of  God  (Job  32:  8). so  neces- 
sary to  understand  the  things  of  God,  (see  i  Cor.  2: 
11),  and  as  a  result  were  not  to  understand  the  things 
written. 

"The    vision    of  all,"   (or  scripture    possessed   by 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED.  1 23. 

them),  being  not  understood,  are  compared  unto  anoth- 
er book,  a  book  which  they  did  not  possess, —  "The 
words  of  a  book  that  is  sealed."  "These  words,"  the 
prophet  declares,  "Men  deliver  unto  one  that  is  learned, 
saying,  'Read  this  I  pray  thee,'  and  he  saith,  I  cannot, 
for  it  is  sealed."  A  transcript  of  the  hieroglyphics  of  a 
certain  part  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  was  prepared  by 
Joseph  Smith,  and  sent  by  Martin  Harris  to  Prof.  An- 
thon  of  New  York.  When  informed  as  to  the  manner 
of  Joseph  Smith  obtaining  the  "book,"  he  said,  when 
asked  to  translate,  "I  cannot,  for  it  is  sealed."  No- 
tice, that  the  "book"  was  not  to  be  "'delivered"  "to 
one  that  is  learned,"  but  the  "words"  only,  which  was 
done  when  the  transcript  taken  by  Smith  was  delivered 
by  Harris,  as  already  described.  Verse  twelve:  "And 
the  book  is  delivered  to  him  that  is  not  learned,  say- 
ing. Read  this  I  pray  thee,  and  he  saith,  I  am  not 
learned."  To  Joseph  Smith  was  delivered  the  book; 
he  was  one  "not  learned."  That  he  did  have  the 
records  in  his  possession  is  attested  by  eight  persons 
who  SAW  and  handled  them,  whose  testimony  as  also 
that  of  three  others,  was  published  in  connection  with 
the  Book  of  Mormon.  He  complained  to  the  Lord, 
saying,  "I  am  not  learned." 

Verses  thirteen  and  fourteen:  "Fosasmuch  as  this 
people  draw  near  me  with  their  mouth,  and  with  their 
lips  do  honor  me,  but  have  removed  their  heart  faf 
from  me,  and  their  fear  towaHrme  is  taught  by  the  pre- 
cept of  men:  Therefore,  behold  I  will  proceed  to  do  a 
marvelous  work  among  this  people,  even  a  marvelous 
work  and  a  wonder."  It  is  clear  that  this  "marvelous 
work"  was  not  to  be  founded  in  the  wisdom  and  precept 
of  men,  but  in  the  wisdom  and  power  of  God.      There- 


124.  THE    BOOK    UNSKALKD. 

fore  the  unlearned  was  selected,  and  to  "him"  "was 
deliver^"  the  "book."  The  Lord  was  to  do  the  work, 
and  this  is  accomplished  by  bestowing  upon  the  "one 
not  learned,"  power  from  God,  with  the  use  of  the 
"Urim  and  Thummim,"  to  *'read"  the  "book  that  is 
sealed." 

The  worship  of  the  times  when  this  was  to  trans- 
pire, is  described  as  of  the  "lip,"  "while  the  heart  is 
removed  far  from  me."  The  hungry,  thirsty,  dreamy, 
drunken  condition,  one  of  "deep  sleep,"  is  still  upon 
the  "nations."  Human  precepts  (creeds)  are  substi- 
tuted for  the  doctrine  of  Christ.  The  "marvelous  work 
and  a  wonder,"  so  introduced  by  God  in  the  latter  days, 
occasions  not  a  little  wondering  and  marveling,  that 
"The  wisdom  of  the  wise  men  shall  perish,  and  the 
understanding  of  the  prudent  men  shall  be  hid." — v.  14. 

And  so  we  perceive  another  prophecy  fulfilled. 
The  efforts  of  the  "wise"  were  to  signally  fail  in  their 
attempts  to  overthrow  the  work  so  introduced.  Verses 
fifteen  and  sixteen  are  strong  in  condemnation  of  those 
who  work  in  the  dark,  characterized  as  "Turning  things 
upside  down,"  opposing  God's  truth,  perverting  in- 
stead of  receiving  the  way  of  truth.  Verse  seventeen  is 
a  veritable  milestone,  marking  the  fulfillment  of  proph- 
ecy: "Is  it  not  yet  a  very  little  while,  and  Lebanon  shall 
be  turned  into  a  fruitful  field,  and  the  fruitful  field 
shall  be  esteemed  as  a  forest."  Only  "a  little  while" 
after  the  fulfillment  of  the  things  foretold,  and  Lebanon 
or  Palestine  "shall  be  turned  into  a  fruitful  field." 

Although  century  upon  century  should  pass,  and 
Palestine  during  this  time  should  remain  under  the 
curse  of  barrenness  and  sterility;  yet  when  the  time  ap- 
pointed of  God  should   have  arrived,    and  the   "little 


THE    HOOK    UNSEALED.  1 25. 

while'-  elapsed,  then  the  curse  is  to  be  removed,  and  the 
"land  of  promise"  shall  again  be  a  "fruitful  field."  In 
1830  the  Book  of  Mormon  was  published,  fulfilling  the 
prophecy  concerning  the  "words  of  the  book  that  is 
sealed"  being  "delivered  by  men  to  one  that  is  learned;" 
the  book  itself  being  delivered  (not  by  man  or  men)  to 
"one  not  learned,"  and  God's  "marvelous  work"  intro- 
duced. 

Louis  Van  Buren  wrote,  only  a  few  years  ago,  an 
account  of  his  sojourn,  and  observations  in  Palestine: 
"I  arrived  in  Indiana  a  few  days  since,  from  the  East- 
ern Continent.  I  stopped  at  Joppa  nearly  the  whole 
winter.  For  my  part  I  was  well  pleased  with  the  coun- 
try. It  is  certainly  a  land  of  most  wonderful  fruitful- 
ness,  with  a  delightsome  climate,  producing  everything, 
i/  properly  cultivated,  and  from  two  to  three  crops  in  a 
year.  They  have  grain,'  fruit  and  vegetables  all  the 
year  round;  in  fact  I  never  was  in  such  a  country  be- 
fore. I  have  seen  much  good  country  in  Europe  and 
America,  but  none  to  compare  with  Palestine;  its  fruit- 
fulness  is  uncommon,  and  the  climate  the  most  delight- 
some; even  in  winter  I  did  not  see  the  least  sort  of 
frost,  and  vegetables  of  every  sort  were  growing  in  per- 
fection in  gardens.  It  is  a  fact  that  the  rain  and  dew 
are  restored;  recently,  in  1853,  the  former  and  the  lat- 
ter rain  were  restored,  to  the  astonishment  of  the  na- 
tives."-Louis  Van  Buren,  Sen.,  Nov.  14th,  A.  D.  1867. 

Thus  it  is  seen  that  only  twenty-three  years  had 
passed  after  the  publication  of  the  Book  of  Mormon 
before  the  long  promised  restoration  came.  Accord- 
ing to  Usher's  Chronology,  Isaiah  made  this  prediction 
two  thousand,  five  hundred  and  sixty-five  years  before 
its  fulfillment.       This  restoration  of   Palestine  and    the 


126.  THE    BOOK    UNSEALED. 

rebuilding  of  Jerusalem,  was  widely  ta'ught  by  the  Latter 
Day  faints  from  the  year  1830  down  to  the  year  1853. 
They  had  faith  in  the  immediate  fulfillment  of  that 
promise,  for  they  knew  that  the  time  was  at  hand. 
And  now  with  pleasure  they  can  point  to  the  restora- 
tion and  rebuilding  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  even-ts  in  the 
east  which  tend  to  push  the  sons  of  Abraham  thither, 
and  can  say,  "We  told  you  so." 

'•It  [Palestine]  has  the  same  bright  sun  and  un- 
clouded sky,  as  well  as  the  early  and  latter  rain,  which, 
however,  is  diminished  in  quantity,  owing  to  the  de- 
struction of  trees." — Chambers'  Encyclopedia,  Vol.  7, 
p.  II. — Palestine. 

"The  result  of  Dr.  Barclay's  observations  is  to 
show  that  the  greatest  fall  of  rain  at  Jerusalem  in  a 
single  year  was  eighty-five  inches,  and  the  smallest 
forty-four,  the  mean  being  51  1-6.  These  figures  will 
be  best  appreciated  by  recollecting  that  the  average 
rain  fall  at  London  during  the  whole  year  is  only 
twenty-five  inches,  and  that  in  the  wettest  parts  of  the 
country,  such  as  Cumberland  and  Devon,  it  rarely  ex- 
ceeds fifty  inches.  As  in  the  time  of  our  Savior,  (Luke* 
12:  54),  the  rains  come  chiefly  from  the  south  or  south- 
west; they  commeiice  at  the  end  of  October,  or  begin- 
ning of  November,  and  continue  with  greater  or  lesser 
constancy  till  the  end  of  February,  or  middle  of  March, 
and,  occasionally,  though  rarely,  till  the  end  of  April. 
Between  April  and  November,  there  is,  with  the  rarest 
exception,  an  uninterrupted  period  of  fine  weather,  and 
skies  without  a  cloud.  During  the  summer  the  dews 
are  very  heavy,  and  often  saturate  the  traveler's  tent, 
as  if  a  shower  had  passed  over  it.  The  nights,  espe- 
cially  towards    sunrise,  are  very  cold,  and  thick  fog  or 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED.  I27. 

mists  are  common  all  over  the  country.  Thunder 
storms  of  great  violence,  are  frequent  during  the  winter 
months." — Dictionary  of  Bible,  by  Wm.  Smith,  p.  636. 
—Art.  Palestine. 

In  D  A.  Randall's  Hand  Writing  of  God,  page 
nineteen,  occurs  his  introduction  to  Dr.  Barclay  of  the 
Disciple  church  and  missionary  to  the  land  of  Pales- 
tine, and  resident  of  Jerusalem  twenty  years,  but  resi- 
dent of  Joppa  at  the  time  of  Randall's  visit.  "The 
country  about  Joppa  is  certainly  a  most  delightful  one. 
Extensive  plains  covered  with  luxuriant  vegetation 
stretched  along  the  shore  of  the  sea  and  far  ijtito  the  in- 
terior. Large  orange  groves  were  just  yielding  their 
luxuriant  harvest  of  golden  colored  fruit.  Such 
oranges  I  had  never  before  seen  and  I  had  no  idea  that 
they  ever  grew  to  such  a  great  size.  The  ground  was 
dotted  with  flowers  of  every  hue  and  the  air  was  vocal 
with  the  music  of  birds." — Ibid.,  p.  23. 

"Lydia  or  Ludd.  It  numbers  about  two  thousand 
inhabitants,  and  is  surrounded  by  beautiful  groves, 
among  which  may  be  seen  the  olive,  fig  and  pomegran- 
ate, etc. "--Ibid.,  p.  24. 

*'Here,  where  we  are  now  walking,  an(l  within  the 
walls,  are  several  large  patches  of  ground  upon  which 
barley  and  wheat  are  growing.  But  a  few  weeks  since 
the  plow  passed  over  that  ground  and  the  seed  was 
scattered  upon  the  furrowed  soil,  and  close  by  it  are 
great  mounds  of  ruins  covered  with  vegetation."  (See 
Micah  3:  12) — Ibid.,  p.  60. 

*'This  is  about  the  closing  up  of  the  latter  rains; 
after  a  fewtiays  they  expect  no  more  rain  until  the  lat- 
ter part  of  September  or  October." — Ibid.,  p.  261. 

"The  tall  rank  grass  was  waving  among  the  stone, 


125.  THK    BOOK     UNSEALED. 

andjthe  ground  had  been  plowed  to  the  very  founda- 
tion walls,  and  a  crop  of  barley  was  rapidly  approach- 
ing harvest." — Ibid.,  271. 

''The  Baldwin  Locomotive  works  in  Philadelphia, 
has  received  the  following  note  from  its  representative 
in  Palestine: 

'Hotel  Jerusalem,  Jaffa,  October  ;^d,  1890. 

'Gentlemen:  — I  am  very  glad  to  be  able  to  report 
that  we  made  a  successful  trial  trip  of  the  first  engine 
(Jaffa)  to-day.  All  Jaffa  was  out  to  see  it,  including  the 
Turkish  Governor  and  his  court.  It  was  estimated  that 
at  least  ten  thousand  people  were  on  the  house-tops 
and  along  the  line  of  the  road,  and  over  two- thirds  of 
them  never  saw  a  locomotive  before.  Many  of  the 
Arab  women  moved  their  household  effects  along  the 
line  of  the  road  several  days  ago,  so  as  to  be  on  hand 
when  the  great  thing  went  along.  Many  flags  were 
hoisted  over  public  buildings  in  honor  of  the  occasion. 
I  got  an  American  flag  from  the  Consul  and  put  it  on 
the  front  bumper.  The  French  engineers  put  two  French 
flags  on  each  corner  of  the  cab,  and  we  secured  a 
Turkish  one  to  put  on  the  other  corner  of  the  bumper, 
and  so  we  went  up  into  town.  I  doubt  if  any.  other 
engine  built  by  the  works  ever  received  so  much  atten- 
tion as  8  24  D,  24,  and  as  for  me,  well,  I  never  exj)ected 
people  to  regard  me  as  the  Arabs  did  today,  and  have 
been  doing.  They  simply  think  I  have  been  cutting 
^nd  carving  it  out  of  a  lot  of  railroad  iron  and  boxes. 
They  have  a  great  respect  for  the  French  engineeRs,  and 
think  them  very  smart,  but  when  it  comes  to  making  a 
machine  such  as  they  saw  today,  '  "they  can't  do  it  in 
France,  they  had  to  send  to  America  for  a  man  to  make 
it."  '  " — Hebrew  Christian. 


THE    HOOK    UNSEAr.KD.  1 29. 

Rabbi  F.  De  Sola  Mendes,  of  New  York  City, 
contributing  to  the  Patriot  wrote:  "The  future  of  the 
Jews  is  inalienably  and  unalterably  associated  with 
Palestine,  their  own  old  home;  let  us  turn  thither. 
From  time  to  time  American  readers  have  been  familiar 
with  newspaper  statements  of  the  enormous  influx  into 
Palestine  of  Russian  and  Roumanian  Hebrew  refugees. 
The  scale  of  this  immigration,  although  considerable, 
has  by  no  means  been  as  large  as  usually  asserted;  it  is 
questionable  whether  there  are  today  as  many  as  seventy 
thousand  Hebrews  in  all  Syria,  while  Mr.  Selah  Merril, 
U.  S.  consul  at  Jerusalem,  very  recently  reported  their 
numbers  as  being  only  forty-three  thousand,  but  this 
probably  refers  only  to  Palestine  proper.  Jerusalem, 
naturally,  is  the  chief  focus  of  this  immigration,  and 
all  reports  agree  in  placing  her  fewish  population  today 
at  about  thirty  thousand.  This  already  makes  the 
Hcly  City  a  Jewish  one,  seeing  that  that  is  considerably 
more  than  half  the  total  population  of  the  place.  In 
Safed,  too,  more  than  half  of  the  twenty-five  thousand 
inhabitants  are  Jews,  while  in  Tiberias,  another  import- 
ant city,  they  number  three  thousand  out  of  the  total 
four  thousand.  In  Hebron,  on  the  other  hand,  they 
are  only  twelve  hundred  out  of  eight  thousand.  They 
have  seventy  synagogues,  it  is  computed,  and  in  Jerusa- 
lem several  large  hospitals  and  schools.  The  Roths- 
child. Agricultural  school  at  Jaffa,  has  for  many  years 
done  niUch  towards  building  up  the  real  development 
pf  the  country,  by  annually  sending  forth  many  well- 
equipped  agricultural  educators  and  farmers.  This  of 
course,  isthe  pressing  need  of  the  land,  to  build  up  the 
svaste: places,  to  plant  the  desolate  fields,  and  to  restore 
tli£  ^'lashed  away  soil  to  the  mountain  plateaus,  whence 


130.  THE    BOOK    UNSKALED. 

the  iKu;hecked  and  uncontrolled  rains  of  centuries  have 
been  allowed  to  flood  it  away.  *  *  The  screech  of  the 
railroad  whistle  may  be  heard  in  Jaffa,  on  the  two- 
thirds  finished  road  from  that  seaport  to  Jerusalem, 
rhere  is  an  electric  light  outside  the  Damascus  gate  at 
the  Holy  City;  the  shadow  of  a  telegraph  pole  falls 
upon  Jacob's  well  near  Shechem,  and  a  prosaic  steam- 
mill  puffs  hard  day  and  night  close  by  the  ancient  wall 
of  Nazareth.  *  *  A  very  much  more  important  railroad, 
as  far  as  the  commerce  of  the  country  is  concerned,  is 
that  for  which  a  concession  has  recently  been  granted, 
from  Haifa  near  Carmel,  across  the  country  to  the 
Hauran  and  Damascus.  It  will  cross  the  plain  of 
Esdraelon,  the  upper  Jordan,  and  the  country  to  the 
south  of  Mt.  Hermon,  the  most  fertile  district  of  all 
Syria.  Its  chief  result  will  be  the  opening  up  of  the 
Hauran,  an  enormous  wheatfield,  as  it  were,  south  of 
Hermon,  some  sixty  miles  by  thirty  in  extent.  The 
traffic,  on  camel-back,  is  today  already  enormous,  the 
people,  who  are  quite  wealthy,  importing  all  their 
illuminating-oil,  their  iron,  their  lumber  and  their  fruit 
— there  are  no  trees  in  the  Hauran — in  exchange  for 
their  grain;  what  will  it  grow  to  when  the  iron  horse  is 
ready  to  shoulder  their  loads?  There  is  no  sign  of 
impending  change  so  potent  as  this  new  railroad,  one 
of  whose  termini  will  be  under  the  shadow  of  hoary 
Carmel  by  the  sea,  the  other  in  venerable  Damascus, 
whose  whistle  will  be  heard  in  Nazareth  and  echo  from 
the  shores  of  Galilee,  and  whose  bridges  will  be  flung 
across  the  Kishon — "that  venerable  stream" — the 
Jordan  and  the  Pharphar.  Eleven  years  ago,  says  a 
recent  traveler,  the  plain  of  Esdraelon  was  cultivated 
only  in  small  patches,  the  crops  of  which   were   pretty 


THK    HOOK    UNSEALED.  I3I. 

regularly  swept  away  by  the  marauding  Bedaween  of 
East  Jordan;  now  it  is  almost  one  unbroken  sea  of 
wheat,  owned  and  farmed  by  a  wealthy  Greek  of 
Beyrout.  Wine  growing  too  is  being  followed  with* 
great  success  in  the  Lebanon,  and  the  proverbial  fig 
tree  will  not  be  long  in  appearing.  The  Jews,  of  course, 
are  manfully  taking  their  part  in  this  transformation  of 
the  land.  •  Many  colonies  have  been  founded,  with 
varying  success  natural  to  a  new  occupation  to  new 
men  in  a  new  .country.  *  *  With  patience  and  perse- 
verance these  men  will  work  on  with  God's  blessings; 
all  true  friends  of  Israel  will  watch  their  progress  with 
interest  and  concern,  and  hail  each  new  enterprise 
which  looks  to  making  loved  Palestine's  "wilderness 
like  an  Eden,  her  deserts  like  the  garden  of  the  Lord." 
"So  shall  joy  and  gladness  be  found  therein  once  more, 
thanksgiving  and  the  voice  of  song." — Independent 
Patriot,  October  19,  1892. 

Mr.  E.  Haldane  contributing  io  the  St.  Louis 
Republic  wrote  from  Jaffa,  December  loth,  1892:  "An 
English  syndicate  is  now  building  a  railway  from  Haifa 
to  Damascus.  The  cost  of  this  Damascus  road  will  be 
about  ten  million  dollars.  The  Jaffa  road  is  to  have  a 
branch  to  Gaza  in  ancient  Philistia,  and  this  will  con- 
tinue down  to  Egypt,  with  its  probable  terminous  at 
Port  Said.  This  latter  road  will  tap  the  great  grain- 
producing  region  of  Southern  Palestine  and  Upper 
Egypt.  As  a  result  of  all  this  railroad  building  the 
whole  of  Syria  is  now  experiencing  such  a  "boom"  as 
has  never  before  been  felt  in  the  East.  The  harvests 
of  the  Hauran — where  the  finest  wheat  and  barley  in 
the  world  are  raised — now  exceed  two  hundred  thousand 
tons  of  cereals,  of  which  five  eighths  are  exported,  being 


132.  THE    HOOK     UNSKALED. 

carrtexi  on  caniel-back  to  Damascus,  which  adds  fifty 
per  cent  to  the  cost.  Caravans  from  Damascus,  which, 
with  its  po|)ulation  of  three  hundred  thousand,  is  the 
1:ommercial  center  of  Syria,  travel  through  Mesopo- 
tamia, by  the  Tigris  and  Euphrates,  to  Mosul,  Bagdad 
and  Hilleh.andto  the  most  distant  parts  of  Arabia, 
Africa  and    fCgypt. 

"'JAFFA,  Palestine,  December  3d,  1892. 
''EDiroKS  Hkkald: — In  September  last,  the  day 
the  first  rain  began,  the  wind  and  sea  were  high,  and 
the  last  boat  load  of  passengers  was  swamped  and  most 
of  them  drowned;  little  children  with  their  parents. 
The  rain  is  still  pouring  with  thunder  and  lightning. 
The  old  Solomon's  harbor  is  full  and  running  over. 
There  were  slight  showers  of  rain  all  through  the  sum- 
mer. The  people  thought  it  would  be  unhealthy,  but 
it  has  been  quite  the  contrary.  The  rain  is  so  heavy 
that  the  houses  are  falling  down,  some  also  that  have 
been  newly  built,  and  the  ovens  also  where  the  bread  is 
baked  for  market  are  broken  down  and  cannot  be 
baked  in  at  present,  as  it  is  still  raining — pouring  is  the 
word,  for  such  a  storm  as  this  one. 

"Abigail  York  Ali.kv  '' 

^'railroads  for  palestine, 
'"Formal  announcement  was  made  at  London, 
England,  October  14th,  that  the  contract  for  building 
the  much  talked-of  railroad  from  Haifa,  in  Syria,  to 
Damascus  has  been  awarded  to  a  Chicago  firm^  Huss 
&  Townsend,  who  have  built  the  Mexican  railroad  also 
for  English  capitalists.  Mr.  Townsend  said  that  the 
equipment,  engines  and  cars  would  probably  be  of 
American   make.      The  contractors  will  sail   for   Haifa 


THE    BOOK    UNSKALED.  I33. 

on  October  i8th  and  will  immediately  begin  work. 
Tiiey  expect  to  complete  the  road  in  eighteen  months. 
The  project  contemplates  an  ultimate  extension  of  the 
road  to  India  if  Persian  concessions  can  be  obtained.'' 
—  Independent  Patriot,  Oct.   19th,  '93. 

Joseph  Smith  affirmed  that  the  angel  said  to  him, 
''Jerusalem  shall  be  inhabited  as  towns  without  walls 
for  the  multitude  of  men  and  cattle  therein."  Thus 
was  fulfilled  Zechariah  2:  4,  applying  it  to  modern 
times.  Those  ancient  walls,  destroyed  by  the  Roman 
armies,  were  never  to  be  rebuilt.  The  city,  rebuilt,  is 
''without  walls,"  just  as  the  prophet  declared  it  would 
be.  Verse  eighteen,  (Isa.  29),  "In  that  day  shall  the 
deaf  hear  the  words  of  the  book,  and  the  eyes  of  the 
blind  shall  see  out  of  obscurity  and  out  of  darkness." 
This  has  had  its  literal  fulfillment  in  the  case  of  many 
through  the  blessings  of  the  restored  gospel. 

Verse  nineteen:  "The  meek  also  shall  increase 
their  joy  in  the  Lord,  and. the  poor  among  men  shall 
rejoice  in  the  Holy  One  of  Israel."  With  the  increas- 
ing light  of  the  latter  days,  and  the  blessings  of  the  gos- 
pel of  Christ  once  more  among  men,  the  "meek"  may 
"increase  their  joy  in  the  Lord,"  and  the  "poor  among 
men  rejoice,"  because  they  again  have  the  gospel  of 
Christ  in  its  simplicity  declared  unto  them,  "Not  in 
word  only,  but  also  in  power,  and  in  the  Holy  Ghost, 
and  in  much  assurance."  The  twentieth  and  twenty- 
first  verses  declare  that  the  devices  of  the  evil  one  shall 
be  "brought  to  naught,"  the  "scorner  consumed,-'' 
showing  it  to  be  a  time  of  judgment.  The  twenty- 
second  verse  is  a  promise  to  the  Hebrew.  It  is  there 
stated  that  it  is  to  be  a  time  of  returning  favor  for 
Jacob.        "Jacob    shall   not   now   be   ashamed,    neither 


£34-  I'HE    BOOK    UNSEALED. 

shall  his  face  now  wax  pale."  The  long  period  of 
oppression,  sorrow  and  afifliction,  visited  upon  thern 
since  their  rejection  of  Jesus  the  Christ,  is  to  be  fol- 
lowed with  a  day  of  relaxation  and  liberty.  Israel  will 
once  more  enjoy  his  liberty  among  men,  and  the  favor 
of  God,  ere  they  shall  say  in  fulfillment  of  the  Savior's 
words,  ^'Ye  shall  no  more  see  me  till  ye  shall  say. 
Blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Ivord." 

There  has  been  a  wonderful  revolution  of  senti- 
ment in  favor  of  the  Jews  during  this  generation.  And 
while  all  persecution  has  not  ceased,  yet  so  great  has 
been  its  abatement,  that  many  of  that  people  have  risen 
to  positions  of  great  honor  and  distinction,  ranking 
among  statesmen  and  figuring  as  leaders  of  the  people. 
Surely  the  sons  of  Jacob  are  regaining  favor  among  the 
nations,  and  this  is  in  clear  fulfillment  of  verse  twenty- 
two. 

In  this  connection  we  shall  mention  a  few  of  that 
race  who  have  received  positions  of  political  honor  and 
distinction. 

Disraeli,  Premier  of  England,  where,  formerly, 
Hebrews  were  not  permitted  to  own  land.  Solomon 
Hirsch  was  appointed  minister  to  Turkey  by  President 
Harrison.  Marcus  Otterbourg,  was  the  first  American 
Hebrew  to  occupy  the  high  office  of  Envoy  P2xtraordi- 
nary  and  Minister  Plenipotentiary,  appointed  by  Presi- 
dent Lincoln  to  Mexico.  Oscar  S.  Straus,  Minister  to 
Turkey,  by  President  Cleveland.  Henry  M.  Phillips, 
one  of  the  most  distinguished  members  of  the  thirty- 
fifth  Congress.  Lewis  C.  Levin,  who  served  in  Con- 
gress three  terms.  E.  B.  Hart  of  the  Congress  of  185 1. 
David  Levy  Youles,  was  for  many  years  prior  to  the 
civil  war.  United  States  Senator  from   Florida.       Isaac 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED.  I35. 

Phillips,  General  Appraiser  of  the  port  of  New  York, 
which  position  he  held  fifteen  years,  was  appointed  by 
President  Pierce.  By  appointment  of  President  Grant, 
Dr.  Herman  Bendell,  was  Superintendent  of  Indian 
Affairs;  and  later,  was  Consul  to  Denmark.  Henry 
M.  Hymans,  Lieutenant  Governor  of  Louisiana.  A 
host  of  others  occupying  places  of  distinction  in  the 
leading  nations  could  have  been  given. 

The  return  of  Israel  unto  God  is  signified  in  the 
twenty-third  verse,  (Isa.  29),  ''They  shall  sanctify  my 
name,  and  sanctify  the  Holy  One  of  Jacob,  and  shall 
fear  the  God  of  Israel."  The  last  verse  of  the  chapter 
is  as  follows:  "They  also  that  erred  in  spirit  shall 
come  to  understanding,  and  they  that  murmured  shall 
learn  doctrine."  Under  the  ministry  of  the  gospel  of 
Jesus  Christ  as  again  restored,  ''the  marvelous  work 
and  a  wonder,"  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  the 
record  of  the  word,  will  be  ample  and  sufficient  to  "try 
the  spirits"  which  are  abroad  in  the  earth,  and  as  a 
result,  those  who  have  "erred"  need  not  continue  there- 
in, for  to  them  special  help  is  promised.  "And  they 
that  murmured  shall  learn  doctrine."  This  is  to  be 
fulfilled  by  reason  of  the  flood  of  light  to  be  ushered  in, 
and  the  dawning  of  the  latter  day  glory.  With  the 
records  of  both  Judah  and  Joseph  in  their  midst, 
matters  of  doctrine  will  have  right  solution,  and  the 
"faith  once  delivered"  will  be  fully  established,  and  a 
people  prepared  to  meet  the  Christ  when  he  comes  to 
reign  on  the  earth. 


136.  THK    BOOK     UNSEALED. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 
AN  ADMISSION,     WITNESSES  TESTIFY. 

PROF.     ANTHON's    admission. 

"Some  years  ago  a  plain,  apparently  simple  hearted 
farmer,  called  on  me  with  a  note  from  Dr.  Mitchell,  of 
our  city,  now  dead,  requesting  me  to  decipher,  if  possi- 
ble, a  paper  which  the  farmer  would  hand  me,  and 
which  Dr.  Mitchell  confessed  he  had  been  unable  to 
understand.  When  I  asked  the  pars  m  who  brought  it 
how  he  obtained  the  writing,  he  gave  me,  as  far  as  I 
now  recollect  [Note  this  language,  'As  far  as  I  now 
recollect']  the  following  account:  A  gold  book  con- 
sisting of  a  number  of  plates  of  gold  fastened  together 
in  the  shape  of  a  book,  by  wires  of  the  same  metal, 
which  had  been  dug  up  in  the  northern  part  of  the  state 
of  New  York,  and  along  with  the  book  an  enormous 
])air  of  gold  spectacles.  [Urim  and  Thummim]. 
These  spectacles  were  so  large  that  if  a  person  attempted 
to  look  through  them,  his  two  eyes  would  have  to  be 
turned  toward  one  of  the  glasses  merely,  the  spectacles' 
in  question  being  altogether  too  large  for  the  human 
face.  Whoever  examined  the  plates  through  the  spec- 
tacles was  enabled  to  not  only  read  them,  but  under- 
stand their  meaning.      All  of  this  knowledge,    however, 


THE    HOOK    UNSEALED.  I37. 

was  confined  at  that  time  to  the  young  man  who  had 
the  trunk  containing  the  plates  and  spectacles  in  his 
sole  possession.  He  put  on  the  spectacles,  or  rather 
looked  through  one  of  the  glasses,  and  deciphered  the 
characters  in  the  book,  and  having  committed  some  of 
them  .  to  paper,  handed  copies  to  a  person  outside. 
This  paper  was  in  fact  a  singular  scroll.  It  consisted 
of  all  kinds  of  crooked  characters,  disposed  in  columns, 
and  had  evidently  been  prepared  by  some  person  who 
had  before  him  at  the  time  a  book  containing  various 
alphabets,  Greek  and  Hebrew  letters,  crosses  and 
flourishes.  Roman  letters  inverted  or  placed  sideways, 
■were  ranged  in  perpendicular  columns,  and  the  whole 
ended  in  a  rude  delineation  of  a  circle,  decked  with 
various  strange  marks,  and  evidently  copied  after  the 
Mexican  calendar  given  by  Humboldt." — E.  D.  Howe's 
work,  p.    272. 

THE    TESTIMONY    OF     IHREK    WITNESSES. 

Be  it  known  unto  all  nations,  kindreds,  tongues, 
and  people,  unto  whom  this  work  shall  come,  that  we, 
through  the  grace  of  God  the  Father,  and  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  have  seen  the  plates  which  contain  this 
record,  which  is  a  record  of  the  people  of  Nephi,  and 
also  of  the  Lamanites,  their  brethren,  and  also  of  the 
people  of  Jared,  who  canie  from  the  tower  of  which 
hath  been  spoken;  and  We  also  know  that  they  have 
been  translated  by  the  gift  and  power  of  God,  for  his 
voice  hath  declared  it  unto  us;  w^herefore  we  know  of  a 
surety,  that  the  work  is  true.  And  we  also  testify  that 
we  have  seen  the  engravings  which  are  upon  the  plates, 
and  they  have  been  shown  unto  us  by  the  power  of 
God,  and  not  of  man.      And   we  declare  with   words  of 


138.  THE    BOOK    UNSEALED. 

s^^erness,  that  an  angel  of  God  came  down  from 
heaven,  and  he  brought  and  laid  before  our  eyes,  that 
we  beheld  and  saw  the  plates,  and  the  engravings 
thereon:  and  we  know  that  it  is  by  the  grace  of  God  the 
Father,  and  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that  we  beheld  and 
bare  record  that  these  things  are  true;  and  it  is  marvel- 
ous in  our  eyes,  nevertheless  the  voice  of  the  Lord 
commanded  us  that  we  should  bear  record  of  it;  where- 
fore, to  be  obedient  unto  the  commandments  of  God, 
we  bear  testimony  of  these  things.  And  we  know  that 
if  we  are  faithful  in  Christ,  we  shall  rid  our  garments  of 
the  blood  of  all  men,  and  be  found  spotless  before  the 
judgment  seat  of  Christ,  and  shall  dwell  with  him 
eternally  in  the  heavens.  And  the  honor  be  to  th^e 
Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  which 
is  one  God.     Amen. 

Oliver  Cowdery, 
David  Whitmer, 
Martin  Harris. 

the  testimony  of  eight  witnesses. 

Be  it  known  unto  all  nations,  kindreds,  tongues 
and  people,  unto  whom  this  work  shall  come,  that 
Joseph  Smith,  Jr.,  the  translator  of  this  work,  has 
shown  unto  us  the  plates  of  which  hath  been  spoken, 
which  have  the  appearance  of  gold;  and  as  many  of  the 
leaves  as  the  said  Smith  has  translated,  we  did  handle 
with  our  hands,  and  we  also  saw  the  engravings  thereon, 
all  of  which  has  the  appearance  of  ancient  work,  and 
of  curious  workmanship.  And  this  we  bear  record  with 
words  of  soberness,  that  the  said  Smith  has  shown  unto 
us,  for  we  have  seen  and  hefted,  and  know  of  a  surety 
tliat  the  said  Smith  has  got  the  plates  of  which  we  have 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED.  I39. 

Spoken.  And  we  give  our  names  unto  the  world  to 
witness  unto  the  world  that  which  we  have  seen,  and 
we  lie  not,  God  bearing  witness  of  it. 

Christian  Whit.mer, 
Jacob  Whitmek, 
Peter  Whitmer,  Jr., 
John  Whitmer, 
Hiram  Page, 
Joseph  Smith,  Sr., 
Hvrum  Smith, 
Samuel  H.  Smith. 

death  of  the   jhree  witnesses. 

Oliver  Cowdery  died  at  Richmond,  Missouri, 
March,  1850;  his  dying  charge  to  David  Whitmer, 
being,  ''Be  true  to  our  testimony,  Brother  David." 
This  was  related  by  Mr.  Whitmer  to  the  writer  of  this 
book,  in  company  with  Elder  E.  C.  Briggs,  in  April, 
1885,  when  visiting  Mr.  Whitmer. 

Martin  Harris  died  at  Clarkston,  Cache  county, 
Utah,  July,  1875.  Answering  the  question  of  H. 
B.  Emerson,  of  New  Richmond,  Ohio,  "Did  you  go  to 
England  to  lecture  against  Mormonism?"  he  said,  "I 
answer  emphatically,  No,  I  did  not;  no  man  ever  heard 
me  in  any  way  deny  the  truth  of  the  Book  of  Mormon." 

David  Whitmer  died  at  Richmond,  Missouri,  where 
he  had  lived  half  a  centurv,  January  25th,  1888.  Of 
his  death  and  the  avowal  of  his  testimony  at  that  time, 
the  Richmond  Democrat,  of  January  26th,  1888,  said: 
*'On  Sunday  evening  at  5:30,  January  22d,  1888,  Mr. 
Whitmer  called  his  family  and  some  friends  to  his  bed- 
side, and  addressing  himself  to  the  attending  physician, 
said,  *Dr.  Buchanan,  I  want  you  to  say  whether  or  not, 
I  am  in  my  right  mind,  before  I  give  ray  dying  testi- 
mony.'     The    doctor  answered,  'Yes,  you   are  in  your 


140.  THE    BOOK     UNSKALKD. 

riffht  mind,  for  I  have  just  had  a  conversation  with  you/ 
:He  then  addressed  himself  to  ail  around  his  bedside  in 
these  words,  'Now  you  must  all  be  faithful  in  Christ; 
I  want  to  say  to  all  of  you  that  the  Bible,  and  the  record 
of  the  Nephites  (Book  of  Mormon)  is  true,  so  you  can 
say  that  you  have  heard  me  bear  my  testimony  on  my 
death-bed.'  " 

The  Globe-Uemocrat  of  January  25th,  1888,  states 
of  Mr.  Whitmer's  death:  ''A  night  or  t\vo  since  he 
called  his  physician,  Dr.  Buchanan,  to  his  side  and  told 
him  that  his  testimony  as  recorded  in  the  Book  of 
Mormon  was  true." 

''We  the  undersigne<l  citizens  of  Richmond,  Ray 
county,  Missouri,  where  David  Whitmer,  Sr.,  has 
resided  since  the  year  A.  D.  1838,  certify  that  we  have 
been  long  and  intimately  acquainted  with  him  and  know 
him  to  be  a  man  of  the  highest  integrity,  and  of  un- 
doubted truth  and  veracity:"  A  .W.  Doniphan;  G.  W. 
Dunn,  Judge  of  the  f'ifth  Judicial  Circuit;  T.  D.  Wood- 
son, President  of  Ray  County  Savings  Bank;  J.  T. 
Child,  Editor  of  Conservator;  H.  C.  Garner,  Cashier  of 
Ray  County  Savings  Bank;  .  W.  A.  Holman,  County 
Treasurer;  J.  S.  Hughes,  Banker;  James  Hughes,  Banker; 
D.  P.  Whitmer,  Attorney  at  Law;  Jas.  W.  Black,  Attorney 
at  Law;  L.  C.  Cantwell,  Postmaster;  Geo.  L  Wasson, 
Mayor;  Jas.  A.  Davis,  County  Collector;  C.  J.  Hughes, 
Probate  Judge  and  Presiding  Justice  of  Ray  County  Court ; 
George  W.  Trigg,  County  Clerk;  W.  W.  Mosby,  M.  D.; 
Thos.  McGinnis,  ex-Sherriff  Ray  County;  J.  P.  Quesen- 
berry.  Merchant;  W.  R.  Holman,  Furniture  Merchant; 
Lewis  Slaughter,  Recorder  of  Deeds;  Geo.  W.  Buch- 
anan, M.  D.;  A.  K.  Reyburn. 

Given  at  Richmond,  Mo.,  this  March  19th,  A.  D.  1881. 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED.  I4T, 


CHAPTER  XV. 
CONCLUSIONS. 

Now,  dear  reader,  we  solicit  your  candid  attention, 
while  we  proceed  with  our  statement  of  conclusions 
upon  some  of  the  many  evidences  presented  in  this 
work. 

At  the  time  of  the  coming  forth  of  the  Book  of 
Mormon  very  little  was  known  of  American  antiquities; 
but  since  then,  interest  has  been  awakened  and  effort 
stimulated,  which  have  resulted  in  a  flood  of  light  being 
thrown. upon  the  great  past  of  ancient  America.  The 
treasure-house  has  been  unlocked,  and  the  remains  and 
monuments  of  her  ancient  civilizations  now  tell  the 
story  of  those  past  ages. 

The  students  of  American  antiquities  will  find,  upon 
a  careful  examination,  that  no  discovery  has  thus  far 
been  made  which,  in  a  single  instance,  contradicts  the 
record  of  America's  great  and  glorious  past,  as  found 
in  the  Book  of  Mormon. 

The  Book  of  Mormon  contains  the  record  of  a 
people  who  came  to  the  Western  continent  from  the 
tower  of  Babel  at  the  confusion  of  tongues.  Fortunately 
for  the  believers  in  the  authority  of  the  Bible,  there  is 
in  the  Book  of  Genesis,  an  historical  statement  which 
fully  warrants  the  statement  of  the  Book  of  Mormon. 
See  Gen.  11:9. 


t42.  THE    BOOK    UNSEALED. 

The  labors  of  the  student  of  ethnology  and  aborig- 
irvSTtraditions,  have  resulted  in  finding  the  statements, 
both  of  Genesis  and  the  Book  of  Mormon,  confirmed 
by  the  clearly  defined  traditions  of  the  aborigines  of 
the  Central  American  states.  This  corroboration  of 
history  and  tradition,  especially  where  the  existence  of 
one  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  creation  of  the  other,  is 
but  a  link  in  the  chain  of  facts  with  which- the  Book  of 
Mormon  is  vindicated. 

The  Book  of  Mormon  affirms  that  two  Hebraic 
colonies  came  to  America  from  Jerusalem  about  six 
hundred  years  before  the  Christian  era.  Its  statement 
is  also  in  harmony  with  special  promises  and  prophecies 
delivered  by  the  olden  Israelitish  prophets  concerning 
the  colonization  of  a  distant  land  by  a  portion  of  the 
house  of  Israel.  (See  Gen,  49:  22-26;  Zeph.  3:  10). 
In  this  case  also,  now  that  the  record  attests  the  fulfill- 
ment of  those  prophetic  promises  made  to  .ancient 
Israel,  we  have  ample  vindication  of  that  Spirit  which 
gave  the  ''sure  word  of  prophecy"  unto  His  people  in 
all  the  ages.  The  antiquarian  comes  to  the  front  con- 
firming the  statement  of  prophecy,  and  the  book  which 
is  the  subject  of  this  work.  We  are  confronted  with 
the  indisputable  evidence  of  the  Hebrew  language,  as 
found  upon  tablets  discovered  in  mounds  and  tumuli 
where  they  were  deposited  in  the  ages  long  ago.  Tab- 
lets and  ancient  parchment  containing  parts  of  the 
Jewish  scriptures  and  Mosaic  Law  have  been  found, 
which  confirm  the  statement  of  the  Book  of  Mormon, 
that  there  was  an  Hebrew  colonization,  and  that  they 
brought  their  customs  and  religion,  and  also  their  sacred 
books  with  them  when  coming  to  this  land.  In  this  we 
have  a  striking   fulfillment  of  ancient   prophecy,  and  a 


THE    BOOK    UNSP:ALED.  I43. 

Strong  endorsement  of  the  book  which  records  its  fulfill- 
ment. The  use  of  stone  tablets  and  parchment  for  the 
purposes  of  record  are  of  ancient  custom  with  Israel, 
and  their  discovery  in  America,  employing  the  language 
and  the  religion  of  that  people,  are  strong  evidences 
that  their  authors  were  of  Israel,  just  as  stated  in  the 
Book  of  Mormon. 

The  writers  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  affirm  that 
they  made  records  upon  metallic  sheets  or  plates,  as  is 
instanced  in  the  golden  plates  from  which  the  book 
itself  was  translated.  At  the  time  of  the  publication  of 
that  book  there  had  been  no  discovery  of  an  ancient 
writing  upon  a  metallic  sheet  or  plate  in  all  America, 
save  that  alone  made  by  Joseph  Smith  concerning  the 
plates  of  the  Book  of  Mormon.  The  wise  and  learned 
scouted  the  idea,  not  supposing  for  a  moment  that  time 
in  its  developments  would  confirm  the  statements  of  the 
unlearned  Smith,  and  the  record* of  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon. And  yet  in  the  order  of  events  calculated  alike 
to  confound  the  unbelieving  scoffer  and  to  inspire  faith 
in  those  who  accepted  that  book  as  containing  a  true 
record,  only  thirteen  years  elapsed  before  the  discovery 
of  what  are  known  as  the  Kinderhook  plates.  They 
were  of  brass  and  covered  with  hieroglyphics.  Only  a 
few  years  ago  there  was  a  remarkable  find  in  Ohio, 
when  a  large  number  of  copper  plates  were  unearthed, 
and  these  also  were  covered  with  hieroglyphical  charac- 
ters. And  only  about  twenty  years  ago  there  were 
found  in  old  Mexico,  quite  a  number  of  earthenware 
plates  also  covered  with  engravings.  And  it  would 
seem  that  while  the  work  of  exploration  proceeds  stimu- 
lated by  the  thirst  for  discovery  by  those  engaged  in  it, 
the  providence  of  "Him  who  doeth  all  things   well,"  is 


144-  'I'HE    BOOK    UNSEALED. 

apfiropriating  their  labors  to  coafirm  the  claims  of  the 
book,  now  unsealed.  In  this  last  cited  proof,  we  have  a 
clear  case  in  confirmation  of  the  Book  of  Mormon. 

That  book  of  ancient  story  affirms  the  ancient 
existence  and  use  of  domestic  animals,  such  as  the  horse 
and  the  ox,  upon  the  American  continent.  In  1830, 
when  that  publication  first  appeared,  the  idea  of  the 
horse  or  the  ox  having  existed  upon  this  land  anciently 
was  considered  by  men  of  education  and  learning,  as 
simply  ridiculous;  for  it  was  believed  that  such  animals 
were  first  introduced  by  the  Europeans  after  the  year 
1492.  But  in  this  particular,  as  also  in  others,  the 
antiquarian  serenely  puts  in  an  appearance  and  gives  a 
good  eye-opener,  effectually  exploding  the  popular 
error,  and  fully  establishing  the  fact  that  the  domestic 
animals  named,  did  flourish  in  the  ages  long  ago  upon 
the  American  continent.  Thus  we  perceive  that  the 
wisdom  of  the  wise,*  when  contradicting  the  Book  of 
Mormon,  is  brought  to  naught,  while  the  statements  of 
that  book  are  corroborated  and  sustained  as  the  years 
roll  by.  The  Book  of  Mormon  clearly  affirms  that  in 
the  bye-gone  ages  there  were  two  distinct  civilizations 
upon  this  land.  And  now,  after  sixty-two  years  have 
passed  since  the  first  publications  of  that  work,  and 
during  which  time  the  work  of  exploration  has  been 
pushed  by  hundreds  and  thousands  of  able  men,  the 
conclusion  generally  reached  is,  that  in  the  ages  past 
there  were  two  distinct  peoples  and  civilizations  upon 
the  American  continent.  And  so  it  is,  that  as  knowl- 
edge increases  and  the  curtain  of  the  past  is  lifted  and 
the  remains  of  the  great  past  are  exposed  to  view,  that 
one  by  one  the  statements  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  are 
verified  and  proved  to  be  true. 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED.  1 45. 

It  has  ever  been  the  privilege  of  God's  people  to 
have  their  prayers,  when  made  in  righteousness,  heard 
and  answered  by  the  Giver  of  all  good.  In  this  the 
unchangeable  character  of  God  is  asserted,  and  his 
people  are  furnished  a  basis  upon  which  to  exercise 
faith  in  his  word.  If  the  ancient  people  of  America 
were  favored  of  God,  and  records  were  kept  among 
them  of  their  experiences  from  time  to  time,  it  is  not 
unreasonable  that  some  of  their  records,  under  divine 
providence,  should  be  preserved  for  the  enlightenment 
and  blessing  of  mankind.  A  revelation  such  as  the 
Book  of  Mormon  claims  to  be,  is  neither  unreasonable 
nor  unscriptural,  but  as  shown  in  these  pages,  it  is  both 
reasonable  and  scriptural,  and  therefore,  worthy  of  our 
'belief. 

In  its  fulfillment  of  the  twenty-ninth  chapter  of 
Isaiah,  the  Book  of  Mormon  has  as  clear  a  case  in 
vindication  of  prophecy  as  was  ever  known  among  men. 
Even  those  remarkable  prophecies  detailing  the  events 
in  the  life  of  the  great  Nazarine,  are  not  more  lucid  and 
explicit  than  are  those  of  Isaiah  29,  and  Psalms  85,  in 
their  application  to  the  coming  forth  of  a  record  of 
truth,  a  book  to  be  unsealed.  The  thirty-seventh 
chapter  of  Ezekiel  is  full  of  significance,  pointing  to 
the  coming  of  another  record,  "The  Stick  of  Joseph," 
and  its  being  -''joined"  in  its  use  with  the  "Stick  of 
Judah."  The  Book  of  Mormon  alone  fulfills  the  express 
terms  of  prophecy  concerning  the  "sealed  book"  and 
the  prophecies  we  have  cited,  and  so  stands  as  a  strong 
witness  attesting  the  divinity  of  those  ancient  prophe- 
cies. 

It  will  doubtless  be  asked:  What  benefit  to  the 
believer  in  Christ  is  the  Book  of  Mormon?     We  answer: 


146.  THE    BOOK    UNSKALKD. 

ist,  It  gives  additional  witness  concerning  Jesus  the 
Christ.  2d,  It  speaks  in  great  plainness  upon  doctrine, 
forever  setting  at  rest  matters  of^^octrine  in  dispute 
among  the  various  sects  of  Christendom.  3d,  It  con- 
tains many  "precious  promises"  unto  God's  people, 
and  like  "All  scripture,  is  given  by  inspiration  of 
God,  and  is  profitable  for  doctrine,  for  reproof,  for 
correction,  for  instruction  in  righteousness,  that  the 
man  of  God  may  be  perfect,  thoroughly  furnished  unto 
all  good  works." — 2  Tim.  3:  16,  17. 

We  now  invite  attention  to  the  witnesses  whose 
testimony  is  published  in  the  Book  of  Mormon,  which 
they  gave  to  the  world  concerniag  the  plates  from 
which  the  book  was  translated,  and  the  visitation  of  the 
angel  of  God  who  afifirmed  that  the  record  so  translated' 
was  true.  The  testimony  of  eight  persons  who  saw  and 
handled  the  plates  while  they  were  yet  in  the  possession 
of  the  one  who  translated  them,  has  never  been 
impeached.  Those  men  while  they  lived,  constantly 
re-affirmed  their  original  testimony.  Their  lives  gave 
evidence  of  their  sincerity  which  must  be  regarded  as 
the  test  of  truth,  and  all  died  in  the  faith  of  the  Book  of 
Mormon. 

The  testimony  of  the  three  special  witnesses, 
namely:  Oliver  Cowdery,  Martin  Harris  and  David 
Whitmer,  is  of  great  significance  in  its  relation  to  the 
coming  forth  of  the  book  so  attested.  They  testify: 
ist,  That  an  holy  angel  brought  unto  them  the  plates 
of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  and  permitted  them  to  handle 
them  and  see  them:  2nd,  That  the  angel  bore  testi- 
mony identifying  the  plates  as  those  from  which  the 
Book  of  Mormon  had  been  translated,  and  certified  to 
the   correctness  and   truth   of  the  translation   so  made. 


THE    HOOK    UNSEALED.  147. 

Upon  an  examination  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  it  is 
found  that  it  contains  a  prophecy  concerning  this  occur- 
rence,—the  testimony  of  the  three  witnesses.  See 
]^ook  of  Mormon,  page  loo.  Joseph  Smith  had  also 
received  an  especial  revelation  in  which  it  was  asserted 
4;hat  the  Lord  would  raise  up  three  witnesses  to  whom 
would  be  shown  those  plates  in  a  most  remarkable  way. 
— See  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  page  69.  The  testimony 
of  these  men  not  only  attests  the  truthfullness  of  the 
Book  of  Mormon,  but  also  furnishes  a  most  signal 
instance  in  the  fulfillment  of  prophecy.  In  the  year 
1838  there  was  an  estrangement  between  the  three  wit- 
nesses and  the  prophet,  and  under  the  pressure  of  the 
fiery  trial  and  bitter  persecution  visited  upon  the  Saints, 
these  men  ceased  to  hold  membership  in  the  church, 
and  remained  aloof  during  the  remainder  of  the  prophet*s 
life.  It  certainly  is  most  reasonable,  that  if  there  had 
been  a  collusion  between  these  men  to  give  false  testi- 
mony to  the  world  concerning  the  angel's  testimony 
and  the  plates  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  that  when  they 
ceased  to  be  friends,  and  these  witnesses  were  no  more 
members  of  the  church,  they  would  have  renounced 
their  testimony,  and  have  pronounced  Joseph  Smith  to 
have  been  only  a  scheming  imposter.  It  is,  however, 
notorious  that  during  their  long  and  eventful  lives,  these 
men  ever  declared  that  Joseph  Smith  was  a  true  prophet, 
and  that  their  testimony  concerning  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon was  true.  They  had  affirmed  an  occurrence— ^a 
fact;  and  the  years  that  followed,  furnished  conclusive 
evidence  that  they  were  sincere  in  the  testimony  so  given 
to  the  world.  As  men  of  sound  minds,  if  they  were 
sincere  in  their  statement  of  the  alleged  fact,  and  their 
statements  all  agree,  the   conclusion  is   inevitable,  that 


148.  THE    BOOK    UNSKALKD. 

they  told  the  truth.  Upon  iheir  death-beds,  they 
re-affirmed  their  testimony,  and  passed  peacefully  away. 

(Coincident  with  the  publication  of  the  Book  of 
Mormon  was  the  founding  anew  of  the  church  afterward 
known  as  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day 
Saints.  The  authority  to  preach  the  gospel  and  ad- 
minister its  ordinances  had  been  restored  to  the  earth, 
and  as  a  result,  the  church  with  the  gifts  and  blessings 
as  of  old,  was  again  among  men.  Tongues,  prophecy, 
interpretation  of  tongues,  healings,  and  other  gifts 
named  in  the  twelfth  chapter  of  first  Corinthians,  were 
among  the  blessed  experiences  of  the  faithful  and  true 
of  ''like  precious  faith."  Experiences  and  scenes  like 
those  of  the  day  of  Pentecost,  are  testified  of  by  men 
and  women  from  all  parts  of  the  earth.  This  universal 
testimony  and  witness  of  the  Holy  Ghost  are  surely  the 
seal  of  the  Almighty  to  the  divinity  of  the  Book  of 
Mormon  and  the  church  of  the  last  days.  The  restora- 
tion of  the  "former  and  latter  rain"  to  the  land  of  Pal- 
estine, just  as  predicted  by  the  Prince-Prophet  of  Israel, 
coming  as  it  does  in  the  time  of  the  coming  forth  of  the 
"sealed  book,"  now  that  the  book  is  unsealed  and  pub- 
lished to  the  nations,  and  the  ''marvelous  work  and  a 
wonder"  established  among  men,  shows  quite  conclu- 
sively that  the  time  is  fulfilled,  and  the  events  foretold 
have  truly  come  to  pass. 

In  the  doctrine  and  promise,  the  Book  of  Mormon 
is  in  harmony  with  all  other  authoritative  declarations 
of  "law  and  testimony,"  and  therefore,  as  tried  by  the 
divine  standard,  stands  approved.  In  James  i:  5,  is  a 
choice  promise  to  those  who  will  seek  the  Lord  for 
guidance  and  light.  In  the  Book  of  Mormon,  on  page 
544,  is  a  promise  fraught  with  importance  to  those  who 


THE    BOOK    UNSEALED.  149. 

love  the  Lord  and  his  truth.  It  is  there  promised  that 
if  the  people  to  whom  the  Book  of  Mormon  should  go, 
will  seek  the  Lord  for  witness  ^nd  testimony  concern- 
ing it,  that  God  will  hear  them,  and  the  Holy  Ghost 
WILL  ATTEST  ITS  TRUTH.  Dear  reader,  will  you  not 
accept   this   TEST,    and   so   ''Prove  all   things    and 

HOLD  fast  to  that  WHICH  IS  GOOD?" 

May  the  loving  Father  bless  you  in  your  search  for 
truth,  and  ultimately  grant  you  ''abundant  entrance'* 
into  the  mansions  of  everlasting  rest. 


F^A.1^^^     II. 


Twelve  Works  Against  Morfflonism 

IN     COMPARISON    WITH     THEMSELVES    AND 
EACH   OTHER. 


Braden's  Mistakes. — Other  Contradictory  State- 
ments.— Six  United  State.s  School  Histories 
Reviewed  in  Comparison  with  Each  Other  and. 
Facts.  —  Four  Leading  Encyclopedias  with 
Their  Re-issues,  Examiked  in  Comparison  and 
with  Facts.  —  Encyclopedia,  Official  and  Press 
References  Relative  to  the  Reorganized 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day  Saints. 


"Oh!  *  *  that  mine  adversary  had  written  a  book," 
—]bh  31:  35.  . 

Job,  a  man  of  God,  knew  the  adversary's  book, 
when  examined,  would  defeat  its  aim,  with  those  of  true 
mind  and  heart.  Let  us  examine  some  of  the  works  on* 
Mormonism  from  this  standpoint.  E.  D.  Howe  of 
Painsville,  Ohio,  (about  ten  miles  from  Kirtland),  wrote 
and  published  the  first,  entitled  "Mormonism  Un-' 
veiled."  ' 


152.  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED. 

On  page  27  he  represents  Nephi  as  making 
plates  in  the  wilderness  with  no  ore.  Book  of  Mormon, 
Palmyra  Edition,  page  43,  shows  the  plates  were  made 
after  the  people  arrived  upon  this  continent,  and  after 
they  had  found  ore  with  many  other  things. 

Howe,  same  page:  "Has  a  commandment  from 
the  Lord  to  make  plates  for  the  special  purpose  of 
making  a  record  of  his  own  ministry  and  his  own  peo- 
ple.'^ 

Book  of  Mormon,  P.  E.,  page  17:  •'!  have 
received  a  commandment  from  the  Lord  that  I  should 
make  these  plates  for  the  special  purpose  that  there 
should  be  an  account  engraven  of  the  ministry  of  my 
people." 

Howe  again:  "Our  hero  introduces  himself  as  a 
minister." 

Book  of  Mormon,  P.  E.,  page  17:  "And  now  I, 
Nephi,  proceed  to  give  an  account  upon  these  plates 
and  of  my  proceedings,  and  my  reign  and  ministry.'' 

Howe,  page  32:  "It  brought  them  all  safely  on 
the  borders  of  the  Red  sea  with  the  exception  of 
Ishmael." 

Book  of  Mormon,  P.  E.,  page  42:  "i\nd  we  did 
sojourn  for  the  space  of  many  years,  yea,  even  eight 
years,  in  the  wilderness.  And  we  did  come  to  the  land 
which  we  call  Bountiful,  because  of  its  much  fruit,  and 
we  beheld  the  sea,  which  we  called  Ireantum,  which, 
being  interpreted,  is  many  waters."  Notice  there  is  no 
Red  sea  in  it. 

Howe,  page  35:  "Whether  the  ship  was  propelled 
by  oars,  or  by  a  current,  or  by  the  wind,  or  by  the 
power  of  the  spindle,  we  can  not  inform  our  readers,  for 
it  is  not  stated." 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED.  1 53. 

Book  of  Mormon,  P.  E.,  page  48:  ''And  it  came 
to  pass  that  after  we  had  all  gone  down  into  the  ship 
and  taken  with  us  our  provisions  and  things  which  had 
been  commanded  us,  we  did  put  forth  into  the  sea,  and 
were  driven  forth  before  the  wind  towards  the  promised 
land." 

Howe,  page  42:  ''The  Nephites  warred  with  each 
other  until  they  exterminated  the  whole  race  except 
three,  who  were  immortalized." 

Book  of  Mormon,  P.  E.,  pages  493-496:  "Yea, 
even  all  my  people,  save  it  were  those  twenty  and  four 
who  were  with  me,  and  also  a  few  who  had  escaped 
into  the  south  countries,  and  a  few  who  had  dissented 
over  unto  the  Lamanites,  had  fallen  and  their  flesh  and 
bones  and  blood,  lay  upon  the  face  of  the  earth." 

"Howe,  page  52:  "We  are  likewise  told  in  the 
same  discourse  that  the  plates  or  book  would  be  sealed 
up,  and  should  finally  be  found  by  an  unlearned  man, 
who  should  see  them  and  ^ow  them  to  three  others." 

Here  is  found  the  great  bug-bear  sought  to  be  kept 
before  the  people  to  deceive.  How  different,  however, 
it  is  from  the  true  reading. 

Book  of  Mormon,  P.  E.,  page  110:  "Wherefore, 
at  that  day  when  the  book  shall  be  delivered  unto  the, 
man  of  whom  I  have  spoken,  the  book  shall  be  hid  from 
the  eyes  of  the  world,  that  the  eyes  of  none  shall  be- 
hold it,  save  it  be  that  three  witnesses  shall  behold  it, 
by  the  power  of  God,  beside  him  to  whom  the  book 
shall  be  delivered,  and  they  shall  testify  to  the  truth  of 
the  book  and  the  things  therein.  And  there  is  none 
others  which  shall  view  it,  save  it  be  a  few,  according  to 
the  will  of  God,  to  bear  testimony  of  his  word  unto 
the  children  of  men." 


154-  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONiSM    REVIEWED. 

I 

Howe,  page  77:  ''Smith  used  a  stone  in  a  hat  for 
the  purpose  of  translating  the  plates.  The  spectacles 
(Urim  and  Thummim)  and  plates  were  found  together, 
but  were  taken  from  him  and  hid  up  again  before  he 
had  translated  one  word,  and  he  has  never  seen  them 
since."     ''This  is  Smith's  own  story." 

Pearl  of  Great  Price,  page  53,  says:  ''By  the 
wisdom  of  God.  (the  plates,  Urim  and  Thummim  and 
breastplate)  remained  safe  in  my  hands  until  I  had 
accomplished  by  them  what  was  required  at  my  hand, 
when,  according  to  arrangements,  the  messenger  calle,d 
for  them;  I  delivered  them  up  to  him  and  he  has  them 
in  his  charge  until  this  day  being  the  second  day  of 
May,  1838." 

Ibid.,  page  46,  Oliver  Cowdery  wrote:  "Day  after 
day  I  continued,  uninterrupted,  to  write  from  his  mouth 
as  he  translated  with  the  Urim  and  Tnummim,  or,  as 
the  Nephites  would  have  said.  Interpreters,  the  history 
or  record  called  the  Book  of  Mormon." 

Howe,,  page  89:  "The  whole  record  being  handed 
down  and  altered   according  to  our  manner  of  speech." 

Book  of  Mormon,  P.  E.,  page  538:  "And  now 
we  have  written  this  record  according  to  our  knowledge 
in  the  characters,  which  are  called  among  us,  reformed 
Egyptian,  being  handed  down  and  altered  by  us  accord- 
ing to  our  manner  of  speech."  The  characters  were 
altered,  not  the  record. 

Howe,  page  90:  "God  marched  before  them  in  a 
cloud." 

Book  of  Mormon,  P.  E.,  pages  451-2:  "The  Lord 
did  go  before  them,  and  talked  to  them  while  he  stood 
in  a  cloud,  and  gave  directions  whither  they  should 
travel." 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED.  1 55. 

Howe,  page  124:  '-Even  their  wine  they  used  for 
communion  they  were  ordered  to  make  from  cider  and 
other  materials." 

Book  of  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  page  112:  "You 
shall  not  purchase  wine,  neither  strong  drink  from  your 
enemies,  wherefore  you  shall  partake  of  none  save  it  is 
made  new  among  you."  Cider  and  other  materials  are 
not  mentioned. 

Howe,  page  129:  "If  thou  lovest  me,  thou  shalt 
serve  me  and  keep  my  commandments,  and  thou  shalt 
consecrate  all  thy  properties,  that  which  thou  hast,  unto 
me,  with  a  covenant  and  a  deed  which  can  not  be 
broken." 

Book  of  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  page  143,  from 
which  the  above  is  garbled,  reads:  "If  thou  lovest  me, 
thou  shalt  serve  me  and  keep  all  my  commandments. 
And  behold,  thou  wilt  remember  the  poor,  and  conse- 
crate of  thy  properties  for  their  support  that  which  thou 
hast  to  impart  unto  them,  with  a  covenant  and  a  deed 
which  cannot  be  broken,  and  inasmuch  as  you  impart 
of  your  substance  unto  the  poor,  ye  will  do  it  unto  me." 

The  foregoing  is  ample  to  show  Howe  to  be  utterly 
unreliable.  Also  that  the  work  he  assailed  could  not  be 
defeated  with  truth,  hence  his  only  resource  to  vilify. 
The  copious  affidavits  to  be  found  in  Howe's  work  and 
copied  into  many  others,  sometimes  in  varied  form,  are 
of  the  same  stamp.  One  who  will  falsify  a  record  so 
widely  published  as  the  Book  of  Mormon,  as  shown, 
will  not  fail  to  manufacture  anything  he  may  need  to 
accomplish  his  purpose;  such  was  Howe's  work — 
"Mormonism  Unveiled." 


156.  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED. 

Following  the  inscription  of  title  page  of  Mrs. 
Maria  Ward's  expose  of  Mormonism,  are  a  few  of  her 
glaring  lying  blunders,  that  show  clearly  her  work  is 
simply  trash. 

'^FEMALE  LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS. 

''A    NARRATIVE  OF  MANY    YEARS'    PERSONAL    EXPERIENCE, 

HY    THE    WIFE    OF    A    MORMON    ELDER,     RECENTLY 

FROM     UTAH.  NEW     YORK,      1855." 

Mrs.  Ward,  relating  her  capture  by  Ward,  says 
on  page  12:  **I  became  immediately  sensible  of  some 
unaccountable  influence  drawing  my  sympathies  towards 
him.  In  vain  I  struggled  to  break  the  spell.  I  was 
like  a  fluttering  bird  before  the  gaze  of  the  serpent- 
charmer." 

On  page  417,  treating  of  the  same  influence  again, 
she  says:  "I  learned  the  whole  affair  in  my  inter- 
course with  the  elders.  I  was  present  when  Smith 
instructed  Mr.  Ward  in  the  art." 

On  page  18,  of  eavesdropping  when  a  miracle  was 
to  be  performed,  she  says:  ^'Perhaps  it  was  a  breach 
of  hospitality,  but  my  curiosity  overcame  my  discre- 
tion. I  applied  the  key,  the  bolt  flew  back,  and  the 
door  swung  open.  I  now  perceived  that  this  was  the 
entrance  to  a  long  hall  or  passage,  with  doors  on  either 
side,  communicating  with  other  rooms.  I  advanced  to 
one  of  them,  and  plainly  perceived  the  glimmering  of 
light  through  the  crevices,  and  heard  the  indistinct 
murmur  of  voices." 

On  page  209,  she  is  very  much  horrified.  **  'But, 
Mrs.  Stillman,'  I  began,  for  my  mind  rather  recoiled 
from   so   dishonorable  an  act  as   private    listening,    'is 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORNONISM    REVIEWED.  157* 

there  no  other  way  by  wliich    your   curiosity   could  be 
satisfied?'  " 

But  on  page  60,  she  advertises  her  method  thus: 
"The  place  of  our  encampment  was  on  the  border 
of  a  wood,  near  the  banks  of  a  limpid  stream.  I  had 
wandered  off  by  myself,  and  sat  down  on  a  fallen  log 
behind  a  clump  of  elders  and  laurels,  yet  in  plain  view 
of  the  encampment,  and  where  I  could  see  all  that  was 
going  on  without  being  seen." 

On  page  137,  Joseph  Smith's  death  is  described  as 
seen  by  Mrs.  Ward:  '*  *This  is  for  my  wife,  my  poor, 
forsaken  Laura,'  said  Clarke,  as  he  raised  the  gleaming 
tube  of  death  to  his  eye.  It  exploded.  I  heard  a  wild 
and  piercing  screech,  and  saw  Smith  fall  from  the 
horse." 

And  on  page  147,  Mrs.  Ward's  High  Priestess,  Mrs. 
Bradish,  says:  "On  that  dreadful  night,"  she  said, 
"when  these  eyes  beheld  the  fall  of  our  holy  prophet, 
when  he  tumbled  from  his  horse." 

On  page  176,  a  raft  built  as  follows,  using  ropes, 
chains,  planks,  etc.,  as  if  in  New  York  city,  when 
hundreds  of  miles  from  any  such  supplies,  and  far  to  the 
west  on  their  journey,  "The  raft  was  soon  constructed. 
It  consisted  of  middling-sized  logs,  bound  together  by 
very  strong  ropes  and  chains,  on  which  thick  planks 
were  laid,  and  fastened  with  iron  spikes." 

,  See  what  a  time  Mrs.  Ward  had  with  Buffaloes  and 
grass  on  pages  19 1-2:  "One  morning  we  came  unex- 
pectedly on  an  immense  drove  of  buffalo,  which  were 
swarming,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  over  the 
plains,  where  they  had  left  scarcely  a  blade  of  9RASS 
remaining.  In  the  presence  of  such  a  huge  mass  of 
animated    beings,   the   beholder    feels    overcome    by    a 


158.  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED. 

Strange  emotion  of  grandeur.  The  continuous  undulat- 
ing motion,  the  dull,  confused  noise,  unlike  any  other, 
and  so  admitting  no  comparison,  struck  us  with  awe 
and  astonishment.  Here  a  cow,  separated  a  little  from 
the  others,  stood  quietly  suckling  her  calf;  there  a  huge 
bull  would  be  rolling  and  tumbling  in  the  grass; 
and,  not  far  off,  clouds  of  dust  would  prove  the  "exist- 
ence of  an  obstinately  contested  fight." 

On  page  254,  Mrs.  Ward  kindly  gives  us  a  combin- 
ation affair,  dry  rivers,  luxuriant  flowers,  no  insects 
except  a  troop  of  wild  horses.  She  says:  "That, 
however,  was  only  the  beginning  of  sorrow,  for  in  a 
few  days  we  entered  a  sandy  and  barren  region,  where, 
to  our  other  ills  and  inconveniences,  that  most  intoler- 
able of  all,  the  want  of  water,  was  added.  The  streams 
were  all  dried  up,  the  rivers  disappeared  from  their 
channels,  there  was  neither  rain  nor  dew.  But,  though 
the  air  seemed  intensely  hot,  and  the  sky  exhibited  not 
a  trace  of  clouds,  there  was  a  softness  in  the  atmos- 
phere at  night,  a  resplendent  glory  in  the  stars,  alto- 
gether incomprehensible  and  most  delightful.  And  this 
region,  otherwise  so  sterile,  was  filled  with  flowers  of 
the  richest  perfume  and  the  brightest  colors.  In  many 
places,  where  it  would  seem,  from  the  gravelly,  sandy 
nature  of  the  soil,  that  no  plant  whatever  could  take 
root,  cactuses,  literally  covered  with  a  profusion  of 
large  crimson  flowers,  thrived  luxuriantly,  thus  present- 
ing a  remarkable  contrast  to  the  surrounding  desola- 
tion. For  one  of  the  remarkable  characteristics  of  this 
place,  was  the  utter  absence  of  animal  life.  Not  a  bird 
visited  these  resplendent  blossoms,  not  a  butterfly  or 
insect  enlivened  the  solitude.  Neither  hares  nor 
pheasants    lurked    beneath    their    coverts.       Even    the 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED.  1 5 9. 

Indians  seemed  to  avoid  the  country.  Once,  and  once 
only,  we  caught  the  glimpse  of  a  troop  of  wild  horses, 
skirting  the  horizon.  It  was  only  a  glimpse,  and  yet  I 
shall  ever  remember  the  graceful  agility  of  their  mo- 
tions, and  the  sleek  sparkle  of  their  glossy  sides.  But 
sadder  sights  than  these  awaited  us.  I  had  descended 
from  the  wagon  to  walk,  in  order  that  I  might  examine 
the  beautiful  flowers.  I  was  particularly  charmed  by 
two  or  three  huge  plants  of  the  cactus  species,  which 
had  grown  so  close  together  that  they  appeared  com- 
pact. They  were,  at  least,  ninety  feet  in  circumference, 
and  large  scarlet  blossoms  depended  from  the  branches. 
But,  while  stooping  to  gather  a  bouquet,  my  fingers 
inadvertently  touched  a  relic,  the  sight  of  which  filled 
me  with  h  )rror.      It  was  a  human  skeleton." 


Extracts  from  the  work  of  Mrs.  C.  V.  Waite,  who 
was  wife  of  Chief  Justice  C.  B.  Waite,  who  served  in 
Utah  when  Mrs..  Waite  wrote,  in  i866.  She  has  been 
very  much  more  fair  than  most  others,  only  a  fragment 
of  one  of  her  books  was  at  hand  in  the  arranging  of 
this  which  did  not  contain  the  contradictions  so  com- 
mon to  other  works  on  the  subject. 

''THE  MORMON  PROPHET  AND  HIS  HAREM. 

**BY  MRS.    C.    V.   WAITE.        FIFTH  EDITION,   REVISED  AND  EN- 
LARGED.   '  CHICAGO;    CINCINNATI;     1867." 

On  page  13,  Mrs.  Waite  mentions  Brigham  Young 
in  the  ascending  scale  officially,  and  suggests  his  zeal 
to  be  worthy  of  a  "better  cause."  She  says:  "In 
1835,  on  the  14th  of  February,  at  Kirtland,  Brigham 
Young  was  ordained  one  of  the  newly-organized  quorum 


l6o.  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED. 

of  the  Twelve  Apostles.  Armed  with  his  new  power, 
and  fired  with  a  zeal  worthy  of  a  better  cause,  he  went 
forth,  and  preached  and  proselyted  with  marked  suc- 
cess. Thomas  B.  Marsh  having  apostatized,  Brigham 
was  chosen  to  succ^jed  him,  as  President  of  the  Twelve 
Apostles,  in  1836." 

On  page  18,  of  the  usurpation  of  leadership  by  Brig- 
ham,  she  says:  *'Young  was  now  ready  to  enact  another 
scene  in  this  Mormon  drama.  He  was  ruling  the  church 
in  the  capacity  of  President  of  the  Twelve  Apostles. 
He  desired  greater  power;  he  wished  to  occupy  the 
place  of  the  Prophet  of  the  Lord.  This  was  the  more 
difficult,  as  the  people  venerated  the  memory  of  Joseph 
Smith,  sanctified  as  it  was  by  the  remembrance  of  his 
cruel  and  untimely  death.  Brigham  knew  well  the 
extent  of  this  feeling,  and  that  it  would  be  impossible 
to  supplant  Joseph  in  their  affections,  and  extremely 
difficult  to  occupy  his  position.  But  his  plans  de- 
manded that  he  should  be  in  form  what  he  was  in  fact, 
— the  absolute  head  of  the  church.  He  resolved  to 
execute  a  brilliant  coup  d'etat,  and  risk  the  conse- 
quences." 

Page  92  says:  'Tt  may  be  well  here  to  remark, 
for  the  benefit  of  the  tender- footed  upon  "this  subject, 
that  polygamy  is  no  part  of  the  Mormon  religion,  so 
far  as  the  same  has  any  history,  and  can  be  distin- 
guished from  the  personal  edicts  of  .Brigham  Young. 
It  is  not  only  not  permitted  but  explicitly  condemned 
in  the  'Book  of  Mormon'  and  the  'Book  of  Doctrine 
and  Covenants,'  which  are  the  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ments of  Mormonism." 

Having  treated  on  the  Morris  movement,  the  work 
of  the  Reorganized    Church  is    thus  set  forth  on    pages 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED.  l6l. 

142-147:  ''The  next  movement  and  one  which  prom- 
ises seriously  to  interfere  with  the  schemes  of  Brigham 
Young,  is  under  the  auspices  of  the  Mormon  Church 
East,  or  the  'Josephites, '  as  they  are  called,  in  contra- 
distinction to  the   'Brighamites.' 

"Joseph  Smith,  the  son  of  the  Prophet,  resides  at 
Nauvoo,  in  Illinois,  near  where  his  father  was  put  to 
death.  He  claims  to  be  the  head  of  the  true  Mormon 
Church,  and  of  course  repudiates  Young  for  the  same 
position.  He  is  opposed  to  polygamy,  is  loyal  to  the 
Government  and  laws  of  the  United  States,  and  is  said 
to  be  a  good  and  worthy  citizen. 

**For  several  years  there  have  been  indications  of 
a  'breaking  up'  among  the  followers  of  the  Pretender, 
Brigham,  and  a  rallying  around  the  standard  of  the 
legitimate  House  of  Joseph.  In  the  States,  those  who 
have  gone  back  to  their  first  love  are  to  be  numbered 
by  thousands. 

"In  Utah  the  progress  of  disintegration,  and  of 
secession  from  the  church  as  there  organized,  is  slower, 
and  accompanied  by  more  danger. 

"But  in  July,  1863,  the  'fulness  of  time'  having 
come,  the  movement  was  commenced  in  earnest,  and  a 
system  of  proselyting  inaugurated,  which  has  already 
drawn  hundreds  of  deluded  people  back  to  their  duty 
to  themselves  and  their  country,  and  which  even  now 
threatens  the  power  of  Brigham  so  strongly  that  it  seems 
almost  tottering  to  its  fall. 

"During  the  latter  part  of  the  month  mentioned, 
E.  C.  Briggs  and  Alexander  McCord,  two  missionaries, 
sent  by  the  Church  East,  for  that  purpose,  arrived  in 
Salt  Lake,  and  announced  themselves  as  harbingers  of 
a  better  gospel, — as   messengers   of  the  true  Church  of 


1 62.  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED. 

Christ  on  earth.  Taking  their  lives  in  their  hands, 'they 
had  crossed  the  Plains  alone,  and  the  Lord  had  pro- 
tected and  sustained  them. 

**It  may  be  supposed  that  their  arrival  caused  con- 
siderable excitement  at  Salt  Lake  City. 

''Briggs  called  on  Young  and  acquainted  him  with 
the  nature  of  his  'mission.'  The  Prophet  became  very 
angry;  refused  him  the  use  of  the  Tabernacle,  or  any 
other  building  in  the  city;  forbade  him  preaching  to 
the  people  and  said  if  he  remained  in  the  city,  he 
(Young)  would  not  be  responsible  for  his  personal 
safety.  Briggs  declined  to  avail  himself  of  this  polite 
hint  to  leave,  and  notwithstanding  these  thunders  from 
the  Vatican,  he  went  boldly  to  work,  and  'daily  ceased 
not  to  teach  and  preach  Jesus  Christ.' 

''He  talked  with  the  people,-  visited  them  at  their 
houses,  prayed  with  them,  and  sang  with  them. 

"The  effect  was  electrical.  Singly,  by  dozens,  and 
by  scores,  the  people  began  to  fall  off  from  the  great 
apostasy,  and  to  return  to  the  mother-church.  Perse- 
cution commenced  from  the  first  day  of  his  labors.  He 
and  McCord  were  forbidden  all  the  houses  of  the  city, 
by  an  order  of  Brigham,  which  none  dared  to  disobey. 
One  house,  that  of  a  gentile,  was  still  open  to  them, 
and  there  they  held  their  meetings,  which  were  well 
attended. 

"Before  spring  their  numbers  had  increased  to  over 
three  hundred.  About  half  of  that  number  returned 
across  the  Plains  in  the  spring  of.  1864,  and  so  strong 
was  the  excitement,  and  so  bitter  the  persecution  and 
enmity  of  the  'Saints'  toward  this  comparatively  hand- 
ful of  seceders  from  Brigham's  authority  and  dominions, 
that  Gen.  Connor  deemed  it  necessary  and  advisable  to 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED.  1 63. 

send  a  strong  escort  with  them  as  far  as  Green  River, 
about  145  miles. 

"Besides  this  number  who  departed  for  the  region 
of  the  rising  sun,  large  numbers  of  the  westward-bound 
emigration  were  stopped,  and  having  their  eyes  opened 
by  missionaries  of  the  same  stamp,  were  induced  to 
withhold  their  steps,  at  least  until  another  season. 

''The  Josephites  in  Salt  Lake,  although  the  sub- 
jects of  bitter  and  unrelenting  persecution  from  the 
Mormons,  found  favor  and  protection  from  Gen,  Con- 
nor and  the  military  under  his  command. 

"They  will  doubtless  continue  to  flourish  and  in- 
crease, and  it  is  possible  that  in  this  way  Utah  may  be 
brought  to  loyalty  and  good  citizenship,  without  blood- 
shed or  commotion." 

Of  those  seeking  release  from  Utah  Mormon  bond- 
age, page  210  says:  "To  such,  the  new  preachers  sent 
by  the  'Josephites,'  to  bring  the  people  back  to  virtue, 
to  loyalty,  and  to  the  original  Mormon  religion,  appear 
as  angels  from  heaven,  and  hence  the  ready  assent 
given  to  their  teachings,  and  the  rapid  defection  from 
the  established  church." 

Of  reformatory  influences  and  showing  that  her 
best  appreciation  is  bestowed  elsewhere  than  Mormon- 
ism,  page  299  says:  "Among  the  agencies  already  at 
work  to  accomplish  this  desirable  end,  and  to  redeem 
Utah  from  her  enthrallment,  may  be  mentioned  the  dis- 
covery of  mines  of  precious  metals,  and  the  large  influx 
o4  miners, — the  preaching  not  only  of  a  purer  Mormon 
faith,  under  the  auspices  of  Joseph  Smith,  Jr.,  but  the 
promulgation  of  the  Gospel  itself,  and  of  the  principles 
of  Christianity  in  their  purity,  by  Rev.  Norman  Mc- 
Leod,  a  Congregational  minister  of  great  boldness  and 


164.  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED. 

talent,  who  is  now  firmly   established  in  the  Territory." 

Of  the  time  previous  to  1852,  page  172  says- 
"Previous  to  the  year  1852,  it  was  also  an  orthodox 
principle  of  the  Mormon  religion,  that  a  man  should 
have  but  one  wife,  to  whom  he  should  be  true  and 
faithful." 

Page  176  says:  ''But  the  greatest  change  of  all  in 
the  Mormon  religion,  made  by  Brigham  Young,  was 
the  introduction  and  establishment  of  polygamy.  This 
was  no  part  of  the  Mormon  system  of  religion  as 
originally  established.  On  the  contrary  it  was  expressly 
repudiated  by  all  the  Mormon  writers  and  speakers, 
previous  to  1852  and  in  Europe  for  some  years  after- 
ward. 

*'The  Mormon  religion  was  founded  by  Joseph 
Smith  and  his  coadjutors,  and  the  principles  and  doc- 
trines of  the  religion  were,  in  the  first  instance,  such  as 
they  established.  The  Book  of  Mormon  is  the  histori- 
cal foundation,  corresponding  with  the  Old  Testament 
of  the  Christian  Bible.  Afterward,  a  volume  of  revela- 
tions to  Smith  and  others  was  collected  and  published^ 
called  the  Book  of  Doctrine  and  Covenants.  This  cor- 
responds to  the  Christian's  New  Testament.  It  may  be 
safely  asserted,  therefore,  that  previous  to  the  innova- 
tions of  Young,  the  Mormon  religion  was  embodied  in 
these  two  volumes.  Their  authority  in  the  church  is 
universal  and  unquestioned. 

"Let  us  examine  these  volumes,  and  see  whether 
they  teach  or  countenance  polygamy. 

"The  Book  of  Mormon  nowhere  contains  a  word 
in  favor  of  it." 

Treating  on  this,  ten  citations  are  given  from  Book 
of  Mormon  and  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  page  178, 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED.  165. 

gives  this  as  one:  *'As  if  to  place  this  matter  beyond 
;^ny  question,  we  have  the  following  still  more  explici|t 
testimony,' on  pages  115  and  118:  , 

** 'And  now  it  came  to  pass  that  the  people  of  Nephi, 
under  the  reign  of  the  second  king,  began  to  grow  hard 
in  their  hearts  and  indulge  themselves  somewhat  in 
wicked  practices,  such  as  like  unto  David  of  old,  desir- 
ing many  wives  and  concubines,  and-  also  Solomon  his 
son.' 

*5  *The  word  of  God  burdens  me  because  of  your 
grosser  crimes.  For  behold,  thus  saith  the  Lord,  thi? 
people  begin  to  wax  in  iniquity;  they  understand  nof 
the  Scriptures;  for  they  seek  to  excuse  themselves  iij 
committing  whoredoms,  because  of  the  things  which 
were  written  concerning  David,  and  Solomon  his  son. 
Behold  David  and  Solomon  truly  had  many  wives  an(^ 
concubines,  which  thing  was  abominable  before  me, 
saith  the  Lord;  wherefore,  thus  saith  the  Lord,  I  hay^ 
led  this  people  forth  out  of  the  land  of  Jerusalem,  by 
the  power  of  mine  arm,  that  I  might  raise  up  unto  m^ 
a  righteous  branch  from  the  fruit  of  the  loins  of  Joseph. 
Wherefore,  I,  the  Lord  God,  will  not  suffer  that  this 
people  shall  do  like  unto  them  of  old.  Wherefore,  my 
brethren,  hear  me,  and  hearken  to  the  word  of  the 
Lord;  for  there  shall  not  any  man  among  you  have, 
save  it  be  one  wife;  and  concubines  he  shall  have  none; 
for  I,  the  Lord  God,  delighteth  in  the  chastity  of 
women.  And  whoredoms  are  an  abomination  before 
me;  thus  saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts.'— Jacob,  ist  and  24 
chapters.  Book  of  Mormon. 

''Here  it  is  stated,  as  coming  from  God  himself^ 
that  the  polygamy  and  concubinage  of  David  and  Solo- 
mon were   abominable   before   the  Lord.      And   yet  we. 


l66.  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED. 

every  day  hear  David  and  Solomon,  as  well  as  Abra- 
ham, Jacob,  and  others,  cited  by  those  practicing 
polygamy,  as  their  illustrious  prototypes,  whose  example 
is  worthy  of  all  imitation." 

Page  i8o  says:  **Let  us  now  turn  to  the  Book  of 
Doctrine  and  Covenants,  and  see  if  we  can  find  in  that 
volume  any  authority  for  polygamy.  The  following 
passages  will  determine  the  question: 

**  'Thou  shalt  love  thy  wife  with  all  thy  heart,  and 
shalt  cleave  unto  her,  and  none  else;  and  he  that 
Jooketh  upon  a  women  to  lust  after  her,  shall  deny  the 
faith,  and  shall  not  have  the  spirit;  and  if  he  repents 
not  he  shall  be  cast  out.' 

''Again.  In  1845,  the  year  after  Smith's  death, 
an  Appendix  was  authoritatively  added  to  the  Book  of 
Doctrine  and  Covenants,  containing  the  following, 
which  is  extracted  from  the  section  entitled  'Mar- 
riage': 

"  '2.  Marriage  should  be  celebrated  with  prayer 
and  thanksgiving;  and  at  the  solemnization,  the  per- 
sons to  be  married  standing  together,'  etc.,  'he  [the 
person  officiating]  shall  say,  calling  each  by  their 
names,  "you  both  mutually  agree  to  be  each  other's 
companion,  husband  and  wife,  observing  the  legal 
rights  belonging  to  this  condition;  that  is,  keeping 
yourselves  wholly  for  each  other,  and  from  all  others, 
during  your  lives."  And  when  they  have  answered 
"yes,"  he  shall  pronounce  them  "husband  and  wife," 
in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  by  virtue 
of  the  laws  of  the  country,  and  authority  vested  in 
him.'  *  * 

"  '4.  *  *  Inasmuch  as  this  church  has  been  re- 
proached with  the  crime  of  fornication  and  polygamy; 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED.  1 67. 

we  declare  that  we  believe  that  one  man  should  have 
one  wife;  and  one  woman  but  one  husband,  except  in 
case  of  death,  when  either  is  at  liberty  to  marry  again. 

"Can  anything  be  more  explicit  than  this?  Polyg-^ 
amy  is  not  only  expressly  repudiated  by  the  church,  but 
is  classed  by  the  side  of  fornication  as  a  crime. 

''Thus  we  find  that  polygamy  is  contrary  to  both 
books  of  the  Mormon  Bible.  That  it  is,  in  fact,  strongly 
condemned  in  those  volumes. 

"It  is,  therefore,  no  part  of  the  Mormon  religion, 
as  given  to  the  world  by  Joseph  Smith." 

Pages  247-249,  give  the  several  denials  of  polyg- 
amy of  Joseph  and  Hyrum,  Pratt,  Spencer,  Taylor, 
etc.,  up  to  1850. 

Page  172  says  of  Brigham's  Theology,  or  Utah 
Mormonism:  "The  doctrines  taught  and  practiced  by 
the  present  head  of  the  Mormon  Church  differ  so  much 
from  the  previously  established  tenants  of  the  church, 
that  they  require  a  separate  consideration.  One  of  the 
most  important  innovations  upon  the  established  doC' 
trines  of  the  church,  is  in  relation  to  the  Godhead.  In 
April,  1852,  Brigham  put  forth  the  startling  doctrine 
that  Adam  is  God,  and  to  be  recognized  and  honored 
as  such!  This  announcement  created  some  consterna- 
tion among  the  Mormon  theologians  and  some  had  the 
courage  to  oppose  it." 

Page  175  says:  "Another  doctrine  of«a  startling 
character,  promulgated  by  one  of  Young's  counsellors 
and  endorsed  by  him,  is  that  of  human  sacrifice  for  the: 
remission  of  sins. 

"It  was  first  announced  by  Jedediah  M.  Grantj 
Second  Counsellor  to  the  President,  in  the  following 
language: 


£68.  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED. 

"  'Brethren  and  sisters,  we  want  you  to  repent  and 
forsake  your  sins.  And  you  who  have  committed  sin*^ 
that  cannot  be  forgiven  through  baptisni,  let  your  blood 
be  shed,  and  let  the  smoke  ascend,  that  the  incense 
thereof  may  come  up  before  God  as  an  atonement  fot 
your  sins,  and  that  the  sinners  in  Zion  may  be  afraid.' 
^^Deseret  News,  October  r,  1856. 

''Again: 

"  'We  have  been  trying  long  enough  with  this 
people,  and  I  go  in  for  letting  the  sword  of  the  Almighty 
be  unsheathed,  not  only  in  word,  but  in  deed.'— Ibid. 

"In  accordance  with  such  bloody  teaching,  it  is 
said  that  an  altar  of  sacrifice  was  actually  built  by 
Grant,  in  the  temple  block,  upon  which  these  human 
sacrifices  were  to  be  made.  On  the  21st  of  September, 
^85 6,  Grant  said: 

"  'I  say  there  are  men  and  women  here  that  1 
would  advise  to  go  to  the  President  immediately,  and 
ask  him  to  appoint  a  committee  to  attend  to  their  case; 
and  then  let  a  place  be  selected,  and  let  that  committee 
shed  their  blood.' — Ibid.,  Vol.  VI,  p.  235." 
^  Brigham  is  also  quoted  at  length  from  Deseret  News, 
October  i,  1856. 


P.  TUCKER'S  "RISE  AND  PROGRESS  OF 
.MORMONISM"  EXAMINED. 
There  are  numerous  publications  abroad  in  the 
land  that  claim  to  give  the  history  of  the  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day  Saints,  but  which  are  iii 
^^eality  but  the  histories  of  the  false  reports  that  have 
been  circulated  by  opposers  of  the  work,  and  therefore 
only  calculated  to  mislead  the  public  mind,  in  reference 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED.  169I 

to  the  rise  of  the  Church,  its  origin,  doctrine  and 
practice,  its  aims,  policy  and  Objects. 

It  is  not  oiir  object  to  entef  into  an  examination  of 
all  these  various  works  referred  to,  but  to  make  a  slight 
investigation  of  thd  one  designated  in  our  caption.  It 
was  written  as  late  as  1867;  at  least  was  published  in- 
that  year,  arid  the  writer  had  the  advantage  of  similar 
works  published  prior  to  that  date.  Our  apology  for 
examining  this  work,  is:  The  writer  Was  a  resident  of 
Palmyra,  N.  Y.,  the  place  where  the  work  began,  about 
the  time  of  the  rise  of  the  Church,  and  was  acquainted 
(or  claimed  to  have  been)  with  the  Smith  family,' 
Harris,  Cowdery,  arid  all  the  "Pioneer  Mormons,"  and 
with  all  the  important  events  connected  with  the  ''Ad- 
vent of  Mormonism."  Let  us  examirie  these  claims; 
and  if  we  shall  discover  that  "would-be  witnesses"  fail 
to  give  us  a  truthful  relation  of  things  they  claim  to  see, 
then  beware  of  the  writings  of  those  "far  away." 

We  begin  this  review  by  reference  to  a  statement 
found  in  the  preface  of  Mr.  Tucker's  work,  and  which 
is  as  follows: 

"The  facts  and  reminiscences  contained  in  this 
volume,  based  upon  the  author's  personal  knowledge 
and  information,  are  produced  to  fill  the  blank  and 
supply  the  omitted  chapters  in  Mormon  history,"  and 
* 'this  truthful  narrative  is  necessary  to  the  completion 
of  the  history  from  the  foundation  of  the  institutioii." 

We  wish  thiese  statements  to  be  borne  in  mind,  for 
if  they  are  true,  we  shall  find  that  the  author  "person- 
ally knows"  some  very  opposite  things,  that  the  sources 
of  his  "information"  are  very  conflicting  ancf  contra- 
dictory, even  amounting  to  "it  is  believed,"  "I  hav^ 
heard,"  and  "it  is  thought,"  etc. 


170.  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED. 

As  testimony  of  the  authenticity  of  the  work,  Mr. 
Tucker,  on  page  five,  cites  names  to  the  number  of  ten, 
and  as  an  evidence  of  the  strength  of  the  evidence  of  his 
witnesses,  inserts  a  letter  from  Mr.  Thurlow  Weed, 
some  time  of  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  in  which  is  found  this 
statement:  **The  character  you  have  given  'Joe 
Smith,'  his  family  and  associates,  corresponds  with 
what  I  have  often  heard  from  the  old  citizens  of  Pal- 
myra." ''Often  heard."  This  needs  no  comment.  In 
the  first  two  chapters  of  the  work  we  are  treated  to  a 
pretty  full  history  of  the  stories  then  current,  (but  these 
did  not  happen  to  be  known  till  about  1827),  concern- 
ing the  boyhood  days  of  Joseph  Smith,  and  his  father's 
family.  Of  all  this,  however,  he  could  have  had  no 
knowledge  till  the  tenth  year  of  Smith's  age,  as  he  did 
not  reside  in  Palmyra  till  of  that  age.  Beside,  there  is 
nothing  in  the  after  years  of  Joseph's  life  to  warrant 
the  statements  made  by  Mr.  Tucker.  He  tells  us,  how- 
ever, on  page  seventeen  of  the  work,  that  as  Joseph 
"further  advanced  in  reading  and  knowledge,  he  as- 
sumed a  spiritual  or  religious  turn  of  mind,  and  fre- 
quently perused  the  Bible,  becoming  quite  familiar  with 
portions  thereof,  both  of  the  OJd  and  New  Testa- 
ments." 

But  Mr.  Tucker  fearing  he  had  said  too  much  in 
Joseph's  favor,  immediately  proceeds  to  kill  the  strength 
of  the  foregoing  statement,  by  telling  us  on  the 
eighteenth  page,  that:  'Tn  unbelief,  theory  and  prac- 
tice, the  Smith  family  *  *  were  unqualified  Atheists." 
This  latter  saying  not  only  contradicts  the  former  one, 
but  also^he  public  record  of  their  lives,  as  attested  by 
their  works,  their  friends  and  their  foes.  This  illus- 
trates   the    utter    regardlessness,    as    to    truth,    of   Mr. 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED.  I  7 1. 

Tucker  in  his  pretended   history  of  those  he  writes  of. 

In  chapter  two  of  Mr.  Tucker's  work,  is  a  detailed 
account  of  some  of  the  false  stories  that  were  manufac- 
tured by  the  enemies  of  the  work,  about  the  "fortune- 
telling,"  '^money-digging"  schemes  of  Joseph,  all  con 
cocted  to  falsify  and  ridicule  the  fact  of  his  having 
labored  for  one  Mr.  Stoal,  of  a  neighboring  county  to 
Wayne,  who  believed  there  was  money  or  silver  on  his 
farm,  and  who  employed  Joseph,  in  company  with 
others,  in  digging  for  it.  Why  not  brand  the  others  as 
"money-diggers?"  Nay,  all  the  gold  and  silver  miners 
of  the  ''Great  West?"  Mr.  Stoal  failed  to  find  the 
supposed  treasure,  and  h^nce  the  failures  of  Joseph's 
^'schemes!"  ^ 

But  this  "long-continued"  "career"  of  Smith's 
'^failures"  of  "seven  or  eight  years,"  all  sprung  out  of 
a  "curious  shaped"  "stone,"  found  in  digging  a  well 
for  Mr.  Clark  Chase,  in  the  year  1819,  of  which  Joseph 
became  possessed  at  the  time — this  was  the  "fortune- 
stone" —  the  "acorn"  from  which  the  Mormon  tree  grew. 

On  pages  twenty-four  and  twenty-five  is  a  lengthy 
description  of  one  of  Joseph's  "money-digging,"  night 
scenes,  said  to  have  taken  place  by  "lantern-light." 
He  now  "assumes  a  mysterious  air,"  employs  the  "mir- 
aculous stone,"  goes  to  neighbor  Stafford,  who  is  "a 
respectable  farmer  in  comfortable  worldly  circum- 
stances," who  supplies  the  "black  sheep,"  the  blood  of 
which  is  to  encircle  that  spot  where  the  treasure  lies 
buried  in  the  earth.  All  being  now  in  readiness,  Joseph 
and  his  dupes  repair  to  the  spot,  and  the  digging  begins. 
All  is  silent,  no  one  daring  to  speak!  But  bye  and  bye 
some  one  in  a  moment  of  forgetfulness  speaks,  the 
spell  is   broken,  the   treasure   vanishes,    and    the   work 


172.  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED, 

ceases!  .  A  retrospect  of  the  locality  shows  that  the 
sjheep's  carcase  is  gone,  investigation  reveals  that  J. 
Smith,  Sen.,  has  taken  it  to  his  house,  ''reduced  to 
mutton''  for  family  use.  The  above  is  only  illustrative 
of  the  many,  and  in  all  such  work  respectable  farmers, 
^uch  as  Harris  and  Stafford;  with  school  teachers,  such 
^s  O.  Cowdery,  are  engaged!  Does  it  seem  reasonable 
that  respectable  farmers  and  school  teachers  would  be 
duped  in  this  way  out  of  their  sleep,  property  and 
honesty?  And  lawyers  too!  ?  But  Mr.  Tucker  has  not 
informed  us  whether  he  was  present  as  one  of  Joseph's 
chief  managers,,  or  one  of  his  dupes!  Probably  the 
latter,  that  is,  if  he  knows  these  things  to  be  true  where.- 
^of  he  writes.  Mr.  Tucker  spoils  all  these  stories,  how- 
ever, when  he  tells  us,  on  page  twenty-seven,  that  these 
''failures"  were  of  "seven  or  eight  years"  duration. 
Can  it  be  possible  that  men  of  sense  and  education  could 
thus  be  duped,  and  led,  and  deceived  in  such  a  many 
ner  for  a  petiod  of  seven  or  eight  years?  Think  of  thisj 
ye  respectable  farmers,  everywhere.  Could  you  be 
made  to  believe  that  men  of  your  class  could  be 
deceived  in  this  manner,  by  experiences  not  of  a  mystic 
or  spiritual  character,  but  of  a  natural,  physical  charac- 
ter? What  utter  nonsense!  If  any  body  can  be  found 
silly  enough  to  believe  these  stories,  then,,  in  the  lan.- 
guage  of  Mr.  Tycker,  "The  fools  are  not  all  dead  yet." 
I  much  prefer  to  believe  in  the  doctrine  of  the  minister- 
pg  of  angels  in  {:his  age  of  the  world. 

^r.  Tucker  goes  back  to  the  pretended  "little 
stone,"  as  a  basis  on  which  to  novelize  and  ridicule  th^ 
Urim  and  Thunqmim.  And  in  attempting  to  accoun^J 
for  its  non-existence;  in  1827,  says;  "This  spectacle 
pretension,   is  believed   to  haye  been   purely  an  Rafter.- 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED.  1 73. 

thought,  for  it  was  not  heard  of  outside  of  the  Smith 
family  for  a  considerable  period  subsequent  to  the  first 
story."  Yes,  "it  is  believed,"  and  we  are  called  on  to 
receive  this  belief  as  evidence. 

There  is  no  reason  whatever  for  believing  that  these 
said-to-be  first  stories  -  false  stories—  had  any  existence 
till  after  the  real  events  thus  counterfeited  by  the  false, 
had  really  transpired,  and  thus  these  pretended  fore- 
thoughts, are  in  reality  the  after-thoughts,  not  of 
Joseph,  or  his  opposers.  If  the  best  evidence  of  the 
best  witness  is  belief  only,  what  of  the  testimony  of  a 
"far  off"  writer. 

On  pages  ^S  and  39,  is  enumerated  the  names 
of  some  thirty-one  persons  "and  the  remainder 
of  the  Smith  family,"  with  the  statement,  "It  is 
believed  that  this  list  embraces  all  the  persons 
residing  at  or  near  the  prime  seat  of  the  Mormon 
advent,  who  from  first  to  last  made  a  profession  of  be- 
lief either  in  the  money-digging,  or  Golden  Bible  find- 
ing pretensions  of  Joseph  Smith,  Jun."  Another  in- 
stance of  "it  is  believed,"  but  the  writer  does  not  tell 
us  who  it  is  believed  by;  does  not  even  say  whether  he 
believes  it  or  not.  Hut  this  kind  of  evidence  seems  to 
be  characteristic  of.  "the  author's  personal  knowledge" 
of  the  things  he  writes  concerning.  Belief  is  not 
evidence,  either  legal  or  historical,  hence  is  no  decision 
of  this  question. 

On  page  ^;^,  Mr.  Tucker  avers  that  it  is  further 
"believed"  that  the  development  of  the  Book  of 
Mormon  or  the  "plates"  "was  also  a  secondary 
invention."  By  this- it  may  be  clearly  seen  that  the 
very  best  evidence,  that  the  most  accredited  historian 
on  the   negative   side   of  this   question   concerning   the 


174-  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED. 

Urim  and  Thummim  and  the  Book  of  Mormon  is  in 
possession  of,  is  mere  belief,  and  belief  only.  These 
examples  serve  to  illustrate  "the  author's  personal  knowl- 
edge"' of  the  historical  "facts"  he  pretends  torelate. 

In  dealing  with  this  question  the  author  encounters 
the  plain,  straightforward,  unequivocal  testimony  of 
twelve  witnesses  to  the  veritable  existence  of  the  plates, 
and  not  being  able  to  impeach  their  evidence  by  refer- 
ence to  character,  proceeds  if)  manufacture  "another 
theory"  as  a  basis  for  their  testimony  which  he 
divulges  at  length  on  pages  74  and  75,  entitled 
the  "Glyph"  theory;  that  is:  -As  similar  plates  to 
those  described  by  the  witness  in  some  respects,  are 
referred  to  by  Professor  Rafinesque  in  his  Atlantic 
Journal  for  1832,  and  others  found  in  Pike  county, 
Illinois,  in  1836.  "Smith  may  have  obtained  through 
Rigdon  (the  literary  genius  behind  the  screen)  one  of 
these  glyphs,  which  resemble  so  nearly  his  description 
of  the  book  he  pretended  to  find  on  Mormon  Hill.  For 
the  credit  of  human  character,  it  is  better  at  any  rate 
to  presume  this,  and  that  the  eleven  ignorant  witnesses 
were  deceived  by  appearances,  than  to  conclude  that 
they  willfully  committed  such  gross  moral  perjury  be- 
fore high  heaven,  as  their  solemn  averments  imply." 

From  this  statement  we  learn  that  even  Mr.  Tucker 
had  too  much  respect  for  the  "moral"  character  of  the 
witnesses  to  believe  they  would  knowingly  testify  of 
things  they  knew  not,  and  tries  to  apologize  for  their 
testimony  on  other  grounds,  as  above  stated.  This 
ought  to  have  its  due  weight  with  those  who  consider 
this  author  as  good  authority.  But  the  testimony  of 
the  eleven  witnesses  was  published  to  the  world  in  1830, 
and   those   plates  described    by   Professor    Rafinesque 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED.  1 75. 

were  not  discovered  till  1832,  and  those  of  Illinois 
in  1836.  This  '^Cilyph"  theory  will  not  answer,  and 
this  Mr.  Tucker  admits  on  page  112.  He  says,  in 
speaking  of  the  origin  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  "It,V 
the  Glyph  theory,  "can  in  no  wise  apply  in  this 
case."  And  last,  but  not  least,  he  only  "presumes" 
all  this  "for  the  credit  of  human  character."  When 
we  remember  that  Mr.  Tucker  was  a  resident  of  Pal- 
myra in  1830,  and  had  ample  opportunity  to  investigate 
these  events  in  detail,  and  that  this  was  the  best  explan- 
ation he  was  able  to  give,  as  a  result  of  his  own  investi- 
gation, what  of  the  explanation  of  those  "from  afar?" 

Mr  Tucker,  however,  repudiates  his  own  "Glyph" 
theory,  as  we  have  seen,  to  make  room  for  the  intro- 
duction of  the  "Spaulding  Story"  theory,  as  gathered 
from  books  that  had  been  published  prior  to  his  own; 
thus  manifesting  his  determination  to  write  a  book  at 
all  hazards,  all  this  exemplary  of  "the  author's  personal 
knowledge." 

In  presenting  his  claims  to  our  consideration  of 
his  rendering  of  the  "Spaulding  Story,"  he  informs  us 
that  his  data  are  "derived  from  the  declarations  of  Mrs. 
Spaulding  herself,  as  in  1831  and  subsequently."  Page 
124.  Our  author  anticipates  the  current  date  of  the 
story,  however,  by  telling  us  that,  "Sidney  Rigdon," 
who  on  pages  28  and  46,  is  styled  "a  mysterious 
stranger,"  frequently  visited  at  Joseph's  house  be- 
tween the  years  1820-27,  planning  the  arrangements 
to  be  subsequently  developed.  That  these  visits 
were  "the  subject  of  inquiry  and  conjecture  by  ob- 
servers, from  whom  was  withheld  all  explanation  of  his 
identity,  or  purpose."  If  these  visits  were  subjects 
"of   enquiry    and    conjecture"    and    "all    explanation 


176.  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    RP:VIEWEr^. 

of  identity  and  purpose"  was  "withheld,"  how  does 
Mr.  Tucker  know  that  they  were  plotting  this  great 
delusion  during  these  years?  More  especially,  if, 
as  he  says  on  page  121,  "they  were  mutually  sworn"  to 
*'secrecy  and  falsehood."  How  does  he  know  that  this 
^'mysterious  stranger"  was  Rigdon,  if  "all  explanation 
of  his  identity  was  withheld?" 

All  this  is  mere  "conjecture"  with  him,  as  with 
other  ^'observers."  As  to  Rigdon's  whereabouts  from 
the  time  of  his  birth  till  [827,  yes,  1830,  the  following 
from  the  Family  Record  of  Rigdon's  father,  is  quite 
satisfactory:  "He  returned  to  Pittsburgh  in  the  win- 
ter of  182 1  and  '22,  and  took  the  care  of  the  First  Reg- 
ular Baptist  Church,  and  there  continued  to  preach 
until  the  Baptist  Association  met  in  Pittsburgh  in  1824 
Rev.  Williams  (at  which  time  they  brought  some 
charges  against  him  for  not  being  sound  in  the  faith) 
brought  him  to  trial,  but  denied  him  the  liberty  of 
speaking  in  self-defence,  and  he  declared  a  non-fellow- 
ship with  them,  and  began  to  preach  Campbellism. 
And  he  and  those  that  joined  with  him  got  the  liberty 
of  the  Court  House;  there  they  held  their  meetings, 
and  he  and  his  brother-in-law,  Mr.  Brooks,  followed 
the  tanning  business  till  the  winter  of  r827  and  '28, 
when  he  (S.  Rigdon)  moved  somewhere  into  the  West- 
ern Reserve  of  Ohio,  and  there  continued  to  preach 
till  the  Latter  Day  Saints  came  to  that  part  of  the 
country,  when  he  joined  them  and  continued  to  be  an 
Elder  in  that  Church  (of  Latter  Day  Saints,  called 
Mormons)."  This  is  confirmed  by  Carvil  Rigdon  and 
Peter  Boyer,  whose  characters  are  attested  by  five 
others,  two  of  whom  are  members  of  the  Old  Regular 
Baptist  Church. 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED.  1 77. 

But,  as  Mr.  Tucker  admits  that  *'the  bearing  of 
these  circumstances  (of  the  visits  of  the  mysterious 
stranger  to  Joseph  Smith  during  the  years  1820-27) 
upon  any  important  question,  can  only  be  left  to  reas- 
onable conjecture  in  reference  to  the  subsequent  devel- 
opments," we  need  not  devote  further  space  to  a  refuta- 
tion of  this  assumption.      Page  48. 

We  are  told  on  pages  122  and  123,  that  Spaulding 
took  his  manuscript  to  a  Mr.  Patterson  of  Pittsburg,  a 
printer,  for  publication.  Patterson  did  not  print  it. 
In  1816  "it  was  reclaimed  by  the  author,  who  in  that 
year  removed  to  Amity,  Washington  county,  N?Y., 
where  he  died  in  1827."  But  this  same  Mrs.  Spauld- 
ing, who  supplies  the  above  data,  says  in  her  Boston 
letter,  published  in  the  Episcopal  Recorder:  "At 
length  the  manuscript  was  returned  to  the  author, 
and  soon  after  we  re^ioved  to  Amity,  Washing- 
ton county,  Pa.,  where  Mr.  Spaulding  deceased  in 
*i8i6."  Mr.  Tucker  further  says,  page  123,  that 
"one  Sidney  Rigdon"  was  in  the  office  of  Patterson  in 
18 16,  "and  the  probable  solution  of  the  mystery  of 
the  Book  of  ^formon  is  found  in  the  fact  that  he 
had  made  a  copy  of  Spaulding's  manuscript,  and 
communicated  information  of  the  existence  of  the 
fictitious  record  to  Joseph  Smith,  Jun."  Also,  page 
125  "Rigdon  was  in  possession  of  a  copy  of  this 
manuscript  before  he  had  heard  of  Smith's  money- 
digging  delusions."  But,  we  ask,  What  object  had 
Rigdon  in  making  "a  copy"  of  this  romance  ere  he 
became  acquainted  with  Smith  and  his  designs  touch- 
ing the  establishment  of  a  church?  An  answer  is 
unneccessary.  Rev.  Samuel  Williams  of  Pittsburgh,  a 
Bitter  opponent  of  the  Latter  Day  Saints,  on  the  twenty- 


178.  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED. 

second  page  of  his  Mormonism  Ex|)osed,  says:  "Rig- 
don  came  to  this  city  and  connected  himself  with  the 
First  Regular  Baptist  Church  on  the  28th  of  January, 
1822." 

Dr.  Hulbert,  an  apostate  from  the  Church  of  Lat- 
ter Day  Saints,  said  in  1834,  on  the  289th  page 
of  liis  History  of  Mormonism:  "Now,  as  Spaulding's 
book  can  nowhere  be  found,  or  anything  heard  of  it 
after  being  carried  to  this  establishment,  there  is  the 
strongest  presumption  that  it  remained  there  in  seclu- 
sion till  about  the  year  1823  or  1824,  at  which  time 
Sidrffey  Rigdon  located  himself  in  ihat  city." 

Rigdon's  Family  Record  says  he  went  to  Pittsburg 
in  the  "winter  of  1822  and  '23."  Hence,  Rigdon  was 
not  in  Pittsburgh  for  eight  years  after  the  manuscript 
was  taken  to  Amity  by  its  author,  and  therefore  had  no 
opportunity  of  copying  it,  and  Mr.  Tucker's  "fact"  is  a 
false  one.  Now,  while  Mrs.  Spaulding  tells  Mr.  Tucker 
that  the  manuscript  was  reclai?ned  by  the  author  in* 
1816,  she  informs  Dr.  Hulbert  that  she  "was  unable 
to  tell  whether  it  was  ever  returned  or  not  from  this 
office." — Tucker,  page  123;   Howe,  page  287. 

'  Our  reason  for  introducing  the  testimony  of  Howe, 
is  that  Mrs.  Spaulding's  statements  are  the  basis  of  his 
data  likewise,  and  no  two  persons  whose  writing  we 
have  yet  consulted,  render  her  story  alike.  And  this 
fact  demonstrates  that  the  sources  of  their  information 
are  not  to  be  relied  on.  And  further,  shows  this 
Spaulding  Story  to  be  a  mere  conjuration  by  the 
enemies  of  the  work  of  God. 

Again,  Mr.  Tucker  says,  page  123:  "The  manu- 
script remained  in  the  widow's  possession  until  it  was 
missed  or  stolen  from  a  trunk  in  Otsego  county,  wher% 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED.  1 79. 

she  had  removed  about  the  time  tl\e  Book  of  Mormon 
began  to  be  publicly  spoken  of."  Howe  says:  **She 
was  unable  to  tell  whether  it  was  ever  returned  or  not 
from  this  office."  In  her  Boston  letter  Mrs.  Spaulding 
says: 

"The  manuscript  then  (1816)  fell  into  my  hands 
and  was  carefully  preserved.  It  has  frequently  been 
examined  by  my  daughter  [who  was  five  years  old  when 
the  manuscript  was  written  in  i8cg-io,  see  Haven's 
letter  in  the  Quincy  (111.)  Whig,  and  was  twelve  years 
eld  when  she  read  it  in  1816  or  1817],  Mrs.  McKin- 
stery,  of  Monson,  Massachusetts,  with  whom  I  now 
reside,  and  by  other  friends.  After  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon came  out  a  copy  of  it  was  taken  to  New  Salem. 
*  *  The  excitement  became  so  great  in  New  Salem 
that  the  inhabitants  had  a  meeting,  and  deputed  Dr. 
Philastus  Hulbert,  to  repair  to  this  place  and  obtain 
from  me  the  original  manuscript  of  Mr.  Spaulding,  for 
the  purpose  of  comparing  it  with  the  Mormon  Bible, 
to  satisfy  their  own  minds  and  to  prevent  their  friends 
from  embracing  an  error  so  delusive.  This  was  in  the 
year  1834.  Dr.  Hulbert  brought  with  him  an  introduc- 
tion and  request  for  the  manuscript  signed  by  Messrs. 
Henry  Lake,  Aaron  Wright  and  others,  with  all  of  whom 
I  was  acquainted,  as  they  were  my  old  neighbors  when 
1  resided  at  New  Salem." 

Can  any  one  tell  from  the  three  foregoing  state- 
ments whether  the  manuscript  was  stolen,  remained  at 
Patterson's  office,  or  whether  it  was  preserved  carefully 
by  Spaulding's  widow  till  1834.  Yet  these  authors  all 
claim  that  the  widow  Spaulding  is  their  authority  for 
the  three  contradictory  stories.  How  many  Spaulding 
stories  are  there  as  origins  of  the   Book    of   Mormon? 


l8o.  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED. 

Would  not  any  judge,  justice  or  jury  in  all  the  land  dis- 
miss such  a  witness  as  the  above  testimony  shows  Mrs. 
Spaulding  to  be,  from  the  couit  and  reject  the  evidence 
as  unworthy  of  credence?     It  seems  so  to  us. 

Now  this  whole  story  of  Rigdon's  copying  the 
manuscript  seems  to  contradict  what  Mr.  Tucker  had 
before  said  on  page  36:  "The  manuscripts  were 
in  the  handwriting  of  one  Oliver  Cowdery."  The  reason 
assigned  was  "Cowdery  had  been  a  school-master,  and 
was  the  only  man  in  the  band  who  could  make  a  copy 
for  the  printer." 

Thus  it  seems,  the  more  we  investigate  this  Spauld- 
ing Story,  as  to  its  giving  rise  to,  or  relation  to  the 
Book  of  Mormon,  the  greater  the  humbuggery  of  the 
story  appears.  And  Mr.  Tucker's  efforts  relative  to 
this,  like  those  of  his  predecessors,  amount  to  nothing 
against  the  work. 

On  pages  55  and  56,  in  referring  to  the  print- 
ing cf  the  Book  of  Mormon,  Mr.  Tucker  tells  us 
that:  "The  first  and  second  books  of  Nephi  and  some 
other  portions  of  the  forthcoming  revelations  were 
printed  in  sheets;  and  armed  with  a  copy  of  these, 
Smith  commenced  other  preparations  for  a  mission  to 
Pennsylvania,  where  he  had  some  relatives  residing, 
and  where  the  before  mentioned  Rev.  Sidney  Rigdon 
was  then  (1829)  residing,  or  temporarily  sojourning." 
Mr.  Tucker  is  not  certain  about  where  Rigdon  then 
resided,  but  bye  and  bye  he  grows  more  positive, 
and  on  page  76,  he  tells:  "He  was  a  backsliding 
clergyman  of  the  Baptist  persuasion,  and  at  the  period 
referred  to  (1830)  was  the  principle  preacher  of  a  sort 
of  religious  society  calling  themselves  'Reformers,'  or 
'Disciples,'  at  Mentor,   Ohio,  near  Kirtland."      While 


WORKS    AGAINST    iMORMONISM    REVIEWED.  l8l. 

this  latter  statement  seems  to  harmonize  with  and  sup-, 
port  the  ''Family  Record"  of  Rigdon,  it  surely  contra-, 
diets  and  invalidates  the  former  one,  and  still  further 
illustrates  the  utter  unreliability  of  Mr.  Tucker's  history 
of  the  "Rise  and  Progress  of    Mormonism." 

Again,  on  page  76:  "This  man  Rigdon  now 
[1830,  see  page  126]  appeared  as  the  first  regular  Mor- 
mon preacher  in  Palmyra."  Now  as  the  »Cluirch  was 
organized  on  the  6th  of  April,  and  a  conference  was 
held  in  June,  1830,  near  Palmyra,  and  as  Joseph  Smith, 
Oliver  Cowdery  and  others  took  missions  from  tliis 
conference,  and  they  h;ad  all  preached  at  Palmyra,  now 
could  Rigdon  appear  "as  the  first  regular  Mormon 
preacher  at  Palmyra?"  More  especially,  since  Mr. 
Tucker  himself  informs  us  on  page  eighty-two,  that: 
"Jn  the  summer  of  1830  the  founders  of  the  Mormon 
CliUrch  then  remaining  at  the  scene  of  its  birthplace 
*  *  went  to  Mentor,  Ohio,  the  residence  of  Rigdon, 
and  of  Parley  P.  Pratt,  his  friend  and  co-worker." 
"Near  this  place  is  Kirtlaiid,  where  there  were  a  few 
families  belonging  to  Rigdon's  congregation.  ,*  * 
Seventeen  of  these  people,  men  and  women,  readily 
espoused  the  new  revelation,  and  were  immersed  by 
Cowdery  in  one  night." 

We  learn  by  these  statements,  first,  that  Rigdon 
resided  in  Ohio,  instead  of  Pennsylvania,  in  1829  and 
1830;  second,  that  instead  of  preaching  the  Mormon 
faith  at  Palmyra  then,  he  was  a  pastor  of  a  congrega- 
tion of  "Disciples"  at  Mentor,  Ohio;  that  seventeen  of 
his  congregation  were  baptized  by  Cowdery,  when  on 
his  mission  west,  in  the  latter  part  of  1830. 

On  page  56,  Mr.  Tucker  speaks  further  of  Smith's 
visit    to     northern     Pennsvlvania,    as    before     referred 


lS2.  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED. 

to,  and  says:  ''The  result  was,  that  in  November, 
[1829,  see  page  55],  Smith  went  to  northern  Penn- 
sylvania, as  previously  appointed,  when  he  married 
the  daughter  of  Isaac  Hale,  and  was  baptized  after  the 
Mormon  ritual — Rigdon  being  the  'match-maker'  and 
officiating  'clergyman'  in  these  celebrations." 

As  to  Joseph's  marriage,  Mr.  Tucker  falsifies  in 
three  points,  viz:  Joseph  was  married  by  Squire  Tar- 
bell,  in  South  Bainbridge,  Chenango  county.  New 
York,  January  i8th,  1827.  See  birth  and  marriage 
record  of  Joseph  Smith,  Sen.,  as  published  in  "Joseph 
Smith  the  Prophet,"  page  40;  printed  1853;  written 
by  Joseph's  mother. 

Mrs.  Emma  Smith,  one  of  the  parties  to  the  mar- 
riage under  consideration,  about  three  months  prior  to 
her  death,  in  reply  to  the  following  question:  "Who 
performed  the  marriage  ceremony  for  Joseph  Smith  and 
Emma  Hale?  When?  Where?"  as  propounded  by  her 
own  son,  Joseph  Smith,  now  of  Piano,  Illinois,  an- 
swered: 'T  was  married  at  South  Bainbridge,  New 
York,  at  the  house  of  Squire  Tarbell,  by  him,  when  I 
was  in  my  twenty-second  or  twenty-third  year."  (See 
the  Saints'  Herald,  number  for  October  ist,  1879). 
As  to  Joseph's  baptism,  by  Oliver  Cowdery,  in  May, 
1829.  See  "Pearl  of  Great  Price,"  page  45;  "Joseph 
Smith  the  Prophet,"  page  131.  Now  while  these  works 
cited  place  the  date  of  Joseph's  baptism  in  May,  1829, 
Mr.  Tucker  says  it  was  subsequent  to  November  of  that 
year;  and  while  they  say  Cowdery  officiated,  he  says 
Rigdon  baptized  him.  One  is  the  evidence  of  Smith 
and  Cowdery;  the  other  is  according  to  the  "informa- 
tion" of  Mr.  Tucker.  How  creditable  the  sources  of 
Mr.  Tucker's  information! 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED.  183. 

Mr.  Tucker  is  not  satisfied  with  having  made  false 
and  contradictory  statements  concerning  the  foregoing 
subjects  and  characters,  but  proceeds  to  falsify  and 
misrepresent  the  plain,  unequivocal  record  and  histori- 
cal statements  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  itself,  and  hence 
on  page  35  of  his  work,  in  referring  to  the  trans- 
lation of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  says:  ''These  transla- 
tions purported  to  relate  to  the  history  of  scattered 
tribes  of  the  earth,  chiefly  Nephites  and  Lamanites, 
who,  after  the  confusion  of  tongues  at  the  tower  of 
Babel,  had  been  directed  by  the  Lord  across  the  sea  to 
this  then  wilderness  land,  where  they  mostly  perished 
by  wars  among  themselves,  and  by  famine  and  pesti- 
lence, and  from  whose  remnants  sprang  our  North 
American  Indians."  Now,  while  it  is  true  that  the 
Book  represents  that  the  Aborigines  of  America  sprang 
from  the  Lamanites  alone,  it  does  not  say  that  the 
Nephites  and  Lamanites  ''had  been  directed  by  the 
Lord  across  the  sea,"  at  any  time,  or  from  any  place. 
The  progenitors  of  the  Nephites  and  Lamanites  never 
had  been  at  the  tower  of  Babel,  so  far  as  is  now  known 
to  us  through  any  record  whatever.  And  we  believe 
this  statement  of  Mr.  Tucker  to  be  a  willful  misrepre- 
sentation of  the  record,  just  like  hundreds  of  other  sub- 
jects he  refers  to,  as  we  are  able  to  make  manifest. 

Our  reason  for  so  believing,  is  because  he  has 
devoted  the  greater  part  of  three  or  four  chapters  of  his 
work  to  extracts  from  the  Book  of  Mormon  itself,  and 
in  making  his  selections  and  arranging  them,  it  is  plainly 
manifest  that  he  was  not  ignorant  of  its  contents. 
Moreover,  some  of  the  very  extracts  which  he  gives  are 
from  the  Books  of  Nephi,  and  contain  the  history  of 
the  progenitors  of  the  Nephites  and  Lamanites;  of  their 


1 84-  WORKS    AGAINST    ^lORMONISM     REVIEWED. 

exodus  from  Jerusalem,  about  six  hundred  years  before 
Christ,  as  may  be  seen  by  referring  to  the  eighty-sixth 
and  eighty-seventh  pages  of  the  work.  When  a  pre- 
tended author  knowingly  and  willfully  misrepresents  and 
falsifies  a  plain  matter  of  record  like  this,  can  we  accept 
as  valid  and  t^fue  his  writings  on  any  subject  treated  of 
by  him?  Enough  has  been  culled  from  the  work 
already,  to  arouse  the  suspicions  of  those  who  have 
trusted  his  veracity,  and  to  create  doubt  in  their  minds 
as  to  his  honesty  as  a  historian.  His  testimony  should 
be  discredited  and  rejected. 

On  the  fifty  eighth  page,  Mr.  Tucker,  in  giving  an 
account  of  the  organization  of  the  Church,  says:  ^'This 
ceremony,  conducted  with  apparent  seriousness  by  the 
prophet,  supported  on  the  right  and  left  by  Cowdery 
■and  Harris — of  which  it  is  now  too  late  to  write  the  full 
particulars  from  memory — took  place  at  the  dwelling- 
house  of  Joseph  Smith,  Sen.,  in  the  month  of  June, 
1830.  There  was  no  praying,  singing  or  preaching 
attempted,  but  Joseph  gave  various  readings  and  inter- 
pretations of  the  new  Bible.  The  senior  Smith  was 
installed  as  Patriarch  and  President  of  the  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day  Saints." 

A  glance  at  the  above  statement  will  detect  no  less 
than  three  falsities.  First,  the  Church,  instead  of  being 
organized  in  the  month  of  June,  was  organized  April 
the  6th,  1830.  But  we  are  sure  that  Mr.  Tucker  means 
to  tell  us  and  have  us  to  understand  that  this  organiza- 
tion that  was  affected  in  June,  was  the  first  and  original 
organization  of  the  Church,  for  on  the  next — ^the  fifty- 
ninth  page — he  styles  it  "this  incipient  church  inaugu- 
ration;'* and  on  the  next,  or  sixtieth  page,  "this  pre- 
liminary  launching  of   the  Mormon  ship'*  Zion— -"this 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM     REVIEWED.  185. 

primeval  foundation."  Now, if  our  author  was  at  Pal- 
myra whin  the  ''incipient"  organization  of  the  Church 
was  effected,  April  6th,  1830,  and  was  not  aware  of  it, 
nor  had  he  learned  it  after  thirty-seven  anniversary 
conferences  had  convened,  all  on  April  6th,  in  com- 
memoration of  the  ''incipient"  organization,  what  does 
the  authenticity  of  his  history  amount  to?  Secondly, 
"No  praying,  singing  or  preaching  was  attempted"  on 
this  occasion.  This  meeting  referred  to  was  the  first 
conference  ever  held  by  the  Church,  and  the  thought 
expressed  by  our  author  (?)  is  altogether  an  unreason- 
able one.  There  were  more  than  thirty,  persons  present 
at  this  meeting,  according  to  Mr.  Tucker  himself.  And 
the  idea  that  a  conference  would  be  held  and  no  pray- 
ing, singing,  or  preaching  even  attempted,  is  evidently 
untrue.  Yet,  he  describes  to  us  that  '-Cowdery  and 
Harris"  were  ordained  to  office,  by  laying  on  of  hands, 
and  that  other  "ceremonious  observances"  were  at- 
tended to.  These  other  ceremonies  are  not  described^ 
but  had  they  been,  would  no  doubt  have  contradicted 
the  statement  referred  to,  that  there  Was  neither  prayer 
nor  song.  Thirdly,  "The  senior  Smith  was  installed 
Patriarch  and  President  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Latter  Day  Saints."  How  this  statement  could  be 
made  by  Mr.  Tucker,  with  the  history  of  the  Church, 
for  and  against  it,  for  thirty-seven  years  before  him, 
we  are  unable  to  explain,  unless  it  be  his  desire  willfully 
to  misrepresent  and  falsify.  Those  who  are  acquainted 
to  any  extent  whatever,  with  the  history  of  the  rise  of 
the  Church,  are  aware  that  this  is  a  clear  mistake. 

On  page  130,  Mr.  Tucker  repeats  this  same  story: 
"Joseph  Smith,  Sen.,  the  first  Patriarch  and  President 
of  the  Church;"  but,  on  pages  134  and  135,  he  informs 


l86.  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED. 

US  better,  and  contradicting  the  former  statements,  tells 
us:  ''Joseph  Smith,  Jun.,  was  the  first  President;"  and 
after  quoting  from  some  of  the  early  revelations  of 
Joseph,  as  now  found  in  the  Book  of  Doctrine  and 
Covenants  to  prove  this,  says  in  conclusion:  "By 
these  exalted  authorities,  the  prophet  becomes  the 
president  of  the  Church."  This  surely  entitles  our 
author  (?)  to  valid  authenticity! 

For  the  sake  of  consistency,  we  must  quote  once 
more  from  page  35:  ''These  translations  purported  to 
relate  to  the  history  of  scattered  tribes  of  the  earth, 
chiefly  'Nephites'  and  'Lamanites,'  who,  after  the  con- 
fusion of  tongues  at  "the  tower  of  Babel,  had  been 
directed  by  the  Lord  across  the  sea  to  this  then  wilder- 
ness land."  And  to  the  above  annex  as  a  part  of  a 
summary,  as  given  on  page  85:  "The  reader  will  dis- 
cover a  chain  of  events,  incidents,  episodes,  perils,  and 
tribulations,  by  wilderness  and  by  sea,  constituting  the 
story  of  immigration  by  various  Israelitish  tribes,  with 
their  brazen  and  golden  records,  from  the  beginning 
of  their  journeyings  at  Jerusalem,  to  the  consummation 
of  the  same  in  the  promised  land." 

The  Nephites  and  Lamanites  referred  to  in  the 
first  quotation,  are  the  descendants  of  but  a  part  of  one 
Israelitish  tribe,  that  came  from  Jerusalem,  six  hun- 
dred years  before  Christ,  instead  of  from  Babel,  after 
the  confusion  of  tongues.  Both  of  these  statements 
misrepresent  the  claims  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  in 
some  points,  while  they  contradict  each  other  in  others; 
at  the  same  time  they  manifest  the  utter  unscrupul- 
ousness  of  the  writer,  as  well  as  his  disregard  as  to 
whether  he  states  the  facts  in  the  case  or  not.  A 
writer    that    will    falsifv    the   historic   statements    of    a 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM     REVIEWED.  187. 

record,    will    give    false    renderings    as    to     its    origin. 

We  now  call  attention  to  a  lengthy  statement  found 
on  page  125,  where,  in  referring  to  the  coming  forth 
forth,  printing,  and  other  circumstances  connected  with 
the  publication  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  says: 

"Indeed,  it  is  apparent  from  the  marked  changes 
IN  STYLE  OF  COMPOSITION  occurring  in  numbers  of  in- 
stances, that  EMENDATIONS  AND  ADDITIONS  WERE  MADE  by 

some  other  than  the  original  writer's  hand.  Then,  too, 
the  verbose  title-page — the  'preface'  in  regard  to  the 
translations  lost  by  the  incendiarism  of  Mrs.  Harris — 
the  testimonies  of  witnesses,  and  the  long  line  of  revela- 
tions that  followed — which  are  not  presumed  to  have 

P.EEN  composed  BY  THE  ILLITERATE  SmITH,  BUT  BY  RiGDON 

DURING  Smith's  life-time — all  these  are  strong  corrob 
(M-ative  considerations  connected  with  the  proofs  that 
Rigdon  supplied  the  literary  aliment  needed  in  con- 
forming the  Spaulding  production  to  the  grand  co-part- 
nership Mormon  speculation.  And  it  is  not  known  that 
he  has  ever  disclaimed  the  part  that  for  more  than 
thirty  years  has  been  publicly  assigned  to  him  in  the 
great  plagiarism  and  imposture." 

We  have  emphasized  some  words  in  the  foregoing, 
and  wish  them  to  be  considered.  The  'Hinity"  of 
''Style  of  composition"  that  characterizes  the  Book  of 
Mormon,  all  through  it,  has  been  urged  by  many  as  an 
objection,  when  it  is  considered  that  it  is  a  compila- 
tion of  many  books,  written  by  as  many  different 
writers,  or  nearly  so.  But  this  objection  has  been 
answered  by  the  fact  that  the  compilation  was  effected 
mainly  by  one  man.  And  were  it  not  for  this  latter 
fact,  the  objection  would  be  a  valid  one.  The  ''emen- 
dations" referred   to,    are   simply  an    abridgement   and 


1 88.  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED. 

condensation  of  the  parts  not  compiled  b)  the  com- 
piler. As  to  the  additions  which  our  author  (?)  supposes 
to  be  found  in  the  books^  just  the  opposite  is  true,  for 
instead  of  adding  to  the  writings  of  those  he  compiled, 
the  compiler  condensed  and  abridged  much  of  their 
writings,  and  what  the  compiler  has  said  of  himself,  is 
no  addition  to  their  writings.  As  to  "the  title,"  ''pre- 
face," "testimony  of  the  witnesses,"  '-'lost  translations" 
and  the  "long  line  of  revelations,"  their  writing,  or 
composition,  Mr.  Tucker  presumes  they  were  written,- 
not  by  "Smith,  but  by  Rigdon,  during  Smith's  life- 
time." As  all  this  is  presumption  with  no  evidence  to 
sustain  it,  it  needs  no  refutation.  Mr.  Tucker  does 
not  claim  to  have  been  informed  of  all  this,  much  less 
to  have  "personal  knowledge  of  it."  This  presumption 
is  said  to  be  a  "strong  corroborative  consideration  con- 
nected with  the  proof  that  Rigdon  supplied  the  literary 
aliment  needed  in  conforming  tlie  Spaulding  production 
to  the  grand  co-partnership  Mormon  speculation." 
Tyhe  "proofs"  that  the  above  allegation  is  true,  have 
been  examined  and  compared,  and  have  been  found  to 
be  contradictory  and  false;  and  this  presumptive  aux- '' 
iliary  to  the  "proof"  is  as  true  as  the  proof  has  been 
found  to  be.  In  relation  to  the  last  sentence  of  this 
quotation,  we  say  most  emphatically  that  "it  is  known" 
that  Rigdon  "had  disclaimed,"  and  most  positively 
denied  "the  part  that  for  more  than  thirty  years  has 
been  publicly  assigned  to  him  in  the  great  plagiarism 
and  imposture,"  that  he  is  said,  (though  not  proved), 
to  have  committed,  in  connection  with  the  origin  of 
the  Book  of  Mormon.  As  evidence  of  this,  see  his 
letter  written  to  Messrs  Bartlett  and  Sullivan,  Editors 
of  some  periodical,  on  the    27th  of   May,  1839.       This 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED.  189. 

letter  was  reprinted,  and  published  as  late  as  1843  ^r 
1844;  and  was  also  inserted  in  another  work  pub- 
lished as  a  ''History  of  the  Mormons,"  and  is  re- 
corded on  pages  45-48.  The  title  page  of  this  latter 
history  was  torn  off  ere  it  came  into  our  possession, 
hence  we  know  not  the  author's  name,  but  it  was  writ- 
ten subsequent  to  1849,  as  it  contains  a  lengthy  article 
from  a  correspondent  of  the  New  York  Tribune,  from 
Salt  Lake  City,  July  8th,  1849,  which  stands  on  pages 
310-314.  This  proves  that  Mr.  Tucker  writes  falsely  in 
regard  to  Sidney  Rigdon.  And  we  scarce  believe  that, 
when  collating  data  for  his  work,  he  was  ignorant  of  all 
this. 

Mr.  Rigdon  says:  '*If  I  were  to  say  that  I  ever 
heard  of  the  Rev.  Solomon  Spaulding  and  his  wife, 
until  Dr.  P.  Hulbert  wrote  his  lie  about  me,  I  should 
be  a  liar  like  unto  themselves.  Why  was  not  the  testi-' 
mony  of  Mr.  Patterson  obtained  to  give  force  to  this 
shameful  tale  of  lies?  The  only  reason  is,  he  was  not 
a  fit  tool  for  them  to  work  with;  he  would  not  lie  for 
them;  if  he  were  called  on,  he  would  testify  to  what  I 
have  here  said." 

Mr.  Tucker  gives  a  very  lengthy  account  of  the 
troubles  of  the  Saints,  while  in  the  State  of  Missouri; 
of  the  arbitrations  of  the  Saints  and  citizens;  of  the 
riotous  scenes  that  followed;  and  on  page  161,  says: 
''Riotous  scenes  of  violence  followed.  The  printing 
office  was  destroyed,  several  of  the  'saints'  were  tarred 
and  feathered,  and  others  were  killed  and  wounded 
while  defending  their  rights."  He  concludes  his  story 
of  these  events  on  page  166,  as  follows:  "Perhaps  the 
occasion  should  not  pass  without  the  remark,  that  by 
enlightened  people  the  Mormons  were  regarded  as  the 


190.  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM     REVIKWED. 

victims  of  misguided  vengeance  in  Missouri.  The 
ruffianly  violence  they  encountered  at  the  hands  of 
lawless  mobs,  in  several  instances  eventuating  in  delib- 
erate murder,  finds  no  extenuation  in  any  alleged  provo- 
cation. The  due  process  of  law  might  have  afforded 
adequate  redress  for  the  criminalities  of  which  they 
should  be  found  guilty  on  legal  trial.  Such  was  the 
view  of  the  subject  rightly  taken  by  the  people  of 
Illinois  and  of  the  world,  though  it  may  have  been 
wrongfully  applied  in  favor  of  the  persecuted." 

When  it  is  remembered  that  the  data  used  by  Mr. 
Tucker,  as  the  basis  of  his  history  of  these  Missouri 
scenes,  are  the  statements  of  the  civil  and  military 
officers  of  the  state,  uttered  during  the  excitement  of 
those  times,  the  foregoing  are  peculiarly  strange  admis- 
sions to  be  made  by  one  so  bitterly  opposed  to  the 
Church  as  Mr.  Tucker  was.  That  the  unparalleled  per- 
secutions of  the  Saints  was  brought  on  by  ''lawless 
mobs"  is  surely*more  than  was  aimed  to  be  said,  and 
ought  to  be  duly  considered  by  those  who  hold  to  Mr. 
Tucker  as  authority. 

"The  due  process  of  law,"  is  all  the  Saints  ever 
asked  at  the  hands  of  the  officers  of  the  Government, 
as  their  entreaties  and  ''petitions, "  and  "memorials"  to 
the  State  and  United  States  Governments  will  show. 
And  the  only  reply  ever  received  to  these  written 
instruments,  were,  by  Missouri,  "You  must  be  exter- 
minated;"'by  the  Union,  "Your  cause  is  just,  but  we 
can  do  nothing  for  you." 

But  the  testimonies  of  the  opposing  side  of  this 
question,  as  on  others,  is  contradictory  and  conflict- 
ing. Hence,  page  162,  speaking  of  the  efforts  of  the 
Saints  to  obtain  redress   for  their  wrongs,    says:       "In 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED.  I9I. 

the  interim,  the  Governor  of  the  State  was  appealed  to 
by  the  Mormons  for  redress,  and  he  advised  them  to 
apply  to  the  courts,"  and  in  their  efforts  to  carry  out 
this  advice,  and  urging  their  suits  in  the  courts,  "a. 
further  lawless  violence  was  thus  provoked."  And  on 
page  165,  represents  Gov.  Boggs  as  saying  to  the  Leg- 
islature of  Missouri,  in  1840:  ^'These  people  had  vio- 
lated the  laws  of  the  land  by  open  force  and  armed 
resistence  to  them;  they  had  undertaken,  without  the 
aid  of  the  civil  authority,  to  redress  their  real  or  fancied 
grievances." 

One  or  the  other  of  these  statements  is  untrue,  for 
they  are  opposed  to  each  other,  and  an  honest  historian 
would  have  ascertained  which  was  true  and  left  the  false 
statement  out,  if  he  wished  to  be  believed. 

On  page  164,  Mr.  Tucker  represents  General 
Clark  as  writing  to  Gov.  Boggs,  in  1838:  "There  is 
no  crime  from  treason  down  to  petit  larceny,  but  these 
people,  or  a  majority  of  them,  have  been  guilty  of." 

Now  as  to  the  truthfulness  of  this  communication 
we  can  better  judge,  by  a  comparison  of  this  with  a 
statement  uttered  by  this  same  Gen.  Clark  in  his  ad- 
dress to  the  Mormons,  about  the  year  1838,  which  says: 
'•'Another  thing  yet  remains  for  you  to  comply  with — 
that  is,  that  you  leave  the  State  forthwith;  and  what- 
ever your  feelings  concerning  this  affair,  whatever  your 
innocence,  it  is  nothing  to  me.  General  Lucas,  who  is 
equal  in  authority  with  me,  has  made  this  treaty  with 
you,  I  am  determined  to  see  it  carried  out." — History 
of  the  Mormons,  page  iii.  A  treaty  has  been  entered 
into  between  the  Saints  and  Gen.  Lucas,  and  Gen. 
Clark  was  to  see  it  carried  out.  As  to  the  innocency 
of  the  Saints,  this  was   nothing  to  him;  thus   admitting 


192.  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED. 

that  he  knows  nothing  of  their  innocence  or  guilt.  But 
of  their  innocency  he  cares  not;  he  simply  is  determined 
to  carry  out  the  treaty  of  Gen.  Lucas. 

Mr.  Tucker's  work  is  mainly  a  revision  of  previous- 
ly printed  works,  as  is  manifest  from  his  reference  to 
subjects  treated  of  by  Howe  and  others;  not  only  in 
regard  to  the  Spaulding  story,  but  the  history  of  Mrs. 
Waite  is  cited;  as  also  introduction  to  Wright  &  Go's 
New  York  edition  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  and  a 
lengthy  article  written  by  Ex-Gov.  S.  S.  Harding 
expressly  for  this  work.  And,  hence,  a  refutation  of 
the  false  statements  made  in  this  work,  is  an  answer  to 
all  the  works  referred  to  by  Mr.  Tucker. 

In  view  of  the  above,  we  see  why  the  forged,  or 
pretended  affidavit,  as  gotten  up  by  Howe,  is  referred 
to  by  Mr.  Tucker  on  the  128th  page  of  his  work, 
and  fathered  on  to  one  Peter  Ingersoll.  Now  we  are 
credibly  informed  that  this  same  Peter  Ingersoll  lives  in 
Lapeer  county,  Michigan,  and  solemnly  denies  ever 
making  oath  to  the  subject  referred  to,  or  any  other 
subject  connected  with  the  faith  of  the  Saints.  This 
affidavit  is  "Dated  Palmyra,  Wayne  county,  New  York, 
December  2d,  1833,  certified  by  Thomas  T.  Baldwin, 
Judge  of  Wayne  county,  to  have  been  sworn  to  before 
him  according  to  law,  9th  day  of  December,  1833.'' 

In  1833,  there  was  no  such  office  as  Judge  of 
''County  Court."  Circuit  Courts,  Courts  of  Oyer  and 
Terminer,  Common  Pleas  and  General  Sessions  were 
held  for  every  county,  but  there  was  no  "County 
Court."  For  these  latter  statements  we  are  indebted  to 
a  "Mr.  W.  W.,"  of  Boyne,  Michigan,  December  6th, 
1876. 

This  pretended  affidavit,  manufactured  by  Dr.  Hul- 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED.  I93. 

bert  alias  Howe,  is  used  by  Mr.  Tucker  as  evidence 
against  the  Saints  in  his  efforts  to  degrade  their  char- 
acter, and  is  only  another  evidence  of  the  utter 
unscrupulousness  of  Mr.  Tucker,  as  to  the  truth  or 
falsity  of  what  he  uses  as  evidence  against  those  he 
opposes. 

An  occasional  anecdote  characterizes  the  work  of 
Mr.  Tucker,  but  these  are  the  statements  only  of  ''fun- 
loving  dare-devils"  and  "notorious  wags,"  and  we  are 
inclined  to  the  idea  that  the  greater  part  of  his  data  is 
from  a  like  source.      See  pages  31  and  80. 

The  "Rise  and  Progress  of  Mormonism"  contains 
a  lengthy  history  of  the  Utah  apostates,  and  the  pre- 
tended revelation  on  polygamy,  accepting  at  the  same 
time  the  assumption  that  it  was  developed  by  Joseph 
Smith.  As  to  this  assumption,  the  only  evidence 
ever  produced  to  sustain  it  is  the  word  of  Brighara 
Young,  and  his  word  only;  and  though  he  claims  that 
it  was  in  existence  as  early  as  1843,  and  that  Emma 
Smith,  Joseph's  wife,  burned  the  original  revelation,  he 
(Brigham)  preserved  a  copy  of  it,  but  never  considered 
it  expedient  to  present  it  to  the  Church,  or  bring  it  to 
light,  till  1852,  which  he  then  did  at  a  special  confer- 
ence in  Salt  Lake  City,  asking  that  it  be  received  as  au- 
thority. As  to  the  burning  of  the  original,  Mrs.  Emma 
Smith  says,  "This  is  a  lie,  made  out  of  whole  cloth." 
This  she  said  as  late  as  1867.  And  in  the  same  con- 
versation with  Elder  J.  W.  Briggs,  now  of  Iowa,  in 
1867,  in  reply  to  the  question,  'fDid  you  ever  see  that 
document  [the  pretended  revelation]  in  manuscript  or 
previous  to  its  publication  by  Pratt?"  (1852).  Answer 
by  Mrs.  Bidamon,  (Smith),  "I  never  did."  This  con- 
versation  is   found    on    page   7,    of   "A  Criticism  upon 


194-  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED. 

the  SO  called  Revelation,  of  1843,"  by  J.  W.  Briggs. 
And  he  that  fabricates  a  falsehood  in  regard  to  the  pre- 
tended history  of  a  pretended  revelation,  would  do  the 
same  in  regard  to  its  pretended  origin.  There  is  no 
evidence  that  such  an  instrument  of  writing  as  this  pre- 
tended revelation  is,  ever  came  through,  or  originated 
with  Joseph  Smith.  We  challenge  any  credible  evi- 
dence. 

Mr  Tucker  is  not  satisfied  with  charging  Joseph 
with  having  originated  polygamy,  but  also  with  practic- 
ing the  doctrine;  with  having  ''forty  wives  all  told." 
Just  as  well  tell  a  big  lie  as  a  little  one,  while  he  is 
about  it.  But  there  is  not  one  word  of  evidence  of  the 
truthfulness  of  this  on  record  anywhere.  As  our  reply 
to  this  charge  will  conclude  our  investigation  and  expos- 
ition of  Mr.  Tucker's  work,  we  shall  not  amplify  to  any 
great  extent,  —  shall  not  here  introduce  the  many  nega- 
tive proofs,  as  found  in  the  Book  of  Mormon  and  Doc-' 
trine  and  Covenants,  as  these,  with  others,  are  exten- 
sively circulated  through  the  medium  of  the  tracts  pub- 
lished by  the  Church,  also  the  Saints'  Herald.  W^e 
shall,  however,  append  a  few  questions,  as  propounded 
to  Mrs.  Emma  Bidamon,  formerly  Smith,  by  her  son, 
Joseph,  about  three  months  prior  to  her  death,  and 
her  answers,  "whereby  though  she  being  dead,  yet 
speaketh." 

"Question.  —  'What  of  spiritual  wifery?' 

"Answer.  —  'There  was  no  revelation  on  either 
polygamy  or  spiritual  wifery.  No  such  thing  as  poly- 
gamy, or  spiritual  wifery,  .was  taught,  either  publicly 
or  privately,  before  my  husband's  death,  that  I  now 
have,  or  ever  had  any  knowledge  of.' 

"Q.  —  'Did  he  not  have  other  wives  than  yourself?' 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM     KEVIKWED.  I95. 

•'*A.  —  'He  had  no  other  wife  but  me;  nor  did  he 
to  my  knowledge  ever  have.' 

"Q.  —  'Did  he  not  hold  marital  relation  with  other 
women  than  yourself?' 

"A. — 'He  did  not  have  improper  relations  with 
any  woman  that  ever  came  to  my  knowledge.'  " — The 
Saints'  Herald,  Oct.  ist,  1879. 

This  testimony  was  borne  by  Sister  Emma,  to  her 
own  son,  only  about  three  months  before  her  death, 
and  is  now  recorded,  and  consequently  is  of  force. 
Just  prior  to  death  is  the  wrong  time  of  one's  life  to 
bear  false  witness  and  deny  the  wrong  done  during  life, 
or  to  conceal  the  wrongs  of  others  with  whom  they 
have  been  connected.  This  testimony,  therefore, 
should,  with  all  honest  people,  be  an  end  of  contro- 
versy relative  to  this  subject,  and  forever  close  the 
mouths  of  ''false  accusers"  "of  the  brethren." 

As  we  have  reviewed  the  modern  historical  part 
of  this  work,  except  that  part  which  relates  to  the  peo- 
ple of  Utah,  and  as  we  are  not  "set  for  the  defense"  of 
those  in  apostasy,  we  now  submit  our  efforts  to  a  can- 
did public,  asking  a  patient  hearing,  and  a  faithful 
comparison  of  this  our  review  with  the  "work  re- 
viewed." C.  Scott. 
Lawrence,  Michigan,  Nov.  14th,  1879. 

The  above  lengthy  expose  is  inserted  for  the  reason 
that  Tucker  was  a  resident  of  Palmyra,  New  York,  and 
had  access  to  the  entire  work  of  both  Hulbert  and 
Howe,  as  well  as  others,  up  to  1867,  when  his  work  was 
issued. 


196.  WORKS    AGAINST    MGRMONISM    REVIEWED. 


LIFE  IN  UTAH; 

OR    THE    MYSTERIES    AND    CRIMES    OF    MORMONISM, 
BY    J.     H.     BEADLE,     1870. 

* 'Several  works  have  appeared,  purporting  to  be 
exposures  of  the  secret  rites  and  mysteries  of  this 
strange  sect,  but  none  have  been  complete,  and  few 
authentic.  The  high  praise  which  this  work  has 
received  from  members  of  Congress,  and  Government 
ofificials  to  whom  it  was  submitted,  and  by  whom  its 
publication  was  urged  as  a  duty  to  the  country,  stamps 
it  as  no  ordinary  work,  but  as  one  of  the  most  power- 
ful and  thrilling  books  ever  published." 

After  giving  items  of  Joseph  Smith's  birth,  etc., 
Beadle  says,  on  page  22:  "Almost  innumerable  are 
the  stories  of  his  youth,  giving  bright  promise  of  future 
rascality.  But  many  of  them  depend  on  little  more 
than  popular  report,  and  we  can  only  receive  as  authen 
tic  tho^e  events  which  rest  upon  the  sworn  testimony 
of  reliable  men  who  were  his  neighbors." 

Connecting  Smith  and  Rigdon  and  alleging  Solo- 
mon Spaulding's  manuscript  was  stolen  of  Mrs.  Spauld- 
ing  says,  page  22:  ''She  thinks  it  was  stolen  from  her 
trunk.      Thus  far  all  is  clear.    *  *" 

How  is  that  for  sworn  evidence?  Of  the  evidence 
setting  forth  that  the  Book  of  Mormon  was  made  up 
from  Spaulding's  manuscript.  Beadle  on  page  32,  says: 
"Suffice  it  to  say,   that  while  it  is  of   moral   force  suf- 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWKD.  1 97. 

ficient  to  convince  most  minds,  it  is  yet  not  such  proof 
as  would  establish  the  fact  beyond  all  doubt,  or  con- 
vict Smith  and  Rigdon  of  theft  and  forgery  in  a  court 
of  justice." 

Mr.  IJeadie's  sworn  testimony  seems  to  be  lacking! 
But  let  Mr.  i5eadle  speak  again;  page  27  says:  "The 
*Book  of  Mormon'  was  fiVst  given  to  the  world  early 
in  1830,  when  three  thousand  volumes  were  published, 
under  contract,  by  Mr,  Pomeroy  Tucker,  then  propri- 
etor of  a  paper  in  the  county." 

On  page  33,  Beadle  says:,  "In  August  of  1830, 
Parley  P.  Pratt,  a  young  Campbellite  preacher,  came 
on  a  visit  especially  to  hear  of  the  new  faith,  and  was 
at  once  converted,  and  soon  after,  Sidney  Rigdon 
appeared  as  a  leading  Mormon." 

And  on  page  34:  "Rigdon  had  previously  col- 
lected a  band  of  nearly  one  hundred  persons,  who 
called  themselves  Disciples,  mostly  seceders  from  other 
denominations,  holding  to  a  literal  and  rapid  fulfill- 
ment of  the  prophecies,  very  fanatical  and  looking 
daily  for  'some  great  event  to  occur.'  Many  of  these 
adopted  the  new  faith  at  once,  and  a  church  of  thirty 
was  organized." 

In  the  light  of  the  preceding,  how  does  this  sound 
from  page  32:  "The  best  evidence  furthermore  shows, 
that  Sidney  Rigdon  was  the  prime  mover  in  the  fraud, 
and  that  Joe  Smith  was  conveniently  put  forward  as 
the  Prophet." 

Mrs.  Emma  Smith  is  written  of  on  page  ;^^; 
"She  became  thoroughly  disgusted  at  her  husband's 
religion  while  in  Nauvoo,  and  expressed  no  particular 
regret  at  his  death;  she  refused  to  emigrate  to  Utah, 
but   apostatized  and   married  a    Gentile,  and   is  rather 


IgS.  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    RP:vrEWEri, 

popular  as  land-lady  of  the  old  Mansion  House,  at 
Nauvoo."  She  never  wavered,  raised  her  family  in 
the  faith,  and  she  died  firm  in  it  in  1879. 

Beadle  disposes  of  Cowdery,  Harris  and  Whitmer,. 
the  three  witnesses,  thus,  on  page  26.  Cowdery:  "He 
led  a  rambling  life  for  many  years,  and  died  a  short 
time  since  a  miserable  drunkard."  He  died  reaffirm- 
ing his  testimony  in  a  most  solemn  manner,  in  February, 
1850,  at  Richmond,  Missouri,  which  was  twenty  years 
before  Beadie  wrote. 

Harris  next:  "He  continued  with  the  Mormons 
till  his  means  were  exhausted,  and,  having  quarrelled 
with  Joe  Smith,  in  Missouri,  returned  to  his  old  resi- 
dence in  New  York.'"  Harris  died  in  Utah,  also 
reaffirming  his  testimony  at  time  of  his  death  in  1875. 

"Of  David  Whitmer  little  is  known.  He  dropped 
out  of  the  Mormon  community,  in  one  of  the  'drives' 
in  Missouri,  and  settled  in  that  State."  Yes,  Mr. 
Beadle  knew  or  wrote  little.  Whitmer  lived  at  Rich- 
mond, Missouri,  from  1838  to  January  25th,  1888,  was 
often  interviewed  by  the  press  of  various  leading  cities, 
Mrs.  Smith,  Cowdery,  Harris  and  Whitmer  are  wantonly 
misrepresented  in  his  alleged  authentic  work! 

Page  48  says:  "Joe  Smith,  Hyrum  Smith,  and 
forty  others  were  held  for  trial,  and  the  militia  officers 
forthwith  organized  a  Court  Martial  and  condemned 
several  of  them  to  be  shot.  But  General  Doniphan, 
a  sound  lawyer  and  brave  man,  by  a  firm  use  of  his 
authority  and  influence,  prevented  this  foolishly  illegal 
action.  The  prisoners  were  taken  before  the  nearest 
Circuit  Judge  and  put  upon  trial  'for  treason,  murder, 
robbery,  arson,  larceny,  and  breach  of  the  peace.' 
They   could   not    well  have  been  tried  for   more,  but  it 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED.  I99. 

seems  by  the  evidence  that  many  of  them  were  guilty 
on  most  of  the  charges.  They  were  committed  to  jail 
to  await  their  final'trial.  The  evidence  in  the  case  was 
printed  by  order  of  the  Missouri  legislature,  and  pre- 
sents a  singular  instance  of  how  a  few  knaves  may  lead 
to  their  destruction  a  whole  people,  if  sufficiently  ignor- 
ant and  fanatical." 

Page  50  says:  *•  The  Missourians  found,  in  the 
meantime,  that  they  had  'caught  an  elephant;',  the)' had 
Joe  Smith,  his  brother  Hyrum,  and  forty  others  in  jail 
on  a  multitude  of  charges,  but  many  of  the  witnesses 
were  gone,  the  trial  would  have  been  long  and  expen- 
sive, and  it  was  probably  the  best  policy  to  get  them 
all  out  of  the  State  in  such  a  way  that  none  would 
re-enter  it,  rather  than  condemn  a  few  to  the  peniten- 
tiary." 

What  difference,  Mr.  Beadle,  about  witnesses  gone, 
with  evidence  printed  by  order  of  legislature?  Hard 
to  make  a  case  against  an  innocent  people. 

Page  58:  "A  city  rose  as  if  by  magic.  Tempor- 
ary in  character  as  most  of  the  buildings  were,  rude 
log  houses  or  frame  shanties,  they  served  to  shelter  the 
rapidly  gathering  Saints.  The  first  house  on  the  new 
site  was  erected  June  ii,  1839,  and  in  eighteen  months 
thereafter,  there  were  two  thousand  dwellings  besides 
school  houses  and  other  public  buildings  *  *  The 
temporary  buildings,  in  no  long  time,  gave  way  to  more 
permanent  buildings;  improvements  multiplied  on  every 
hand,  and  Joe  Smith  had  almost  daily  revelations 
directing  how  every  work  should  be  carried  on." 

Compare  with  preceding,  this,  page  74:  '*Two 
years  had  not  elapsed  since  the  first  fugitives  arrived  at 
Nauvoo    before    the    Mormons    outnumbered    the    old 


200.  WORKS    AGAINST    .^lORMONIS^r    REVIEWED. 

settlers.  *  *  None  of  the  promised  advantages  had 
accrued  from  the  settlement  of  the  Moriuons  among 
them.  They  had  created  but  little  trade  or  commercey 
had  made  no  improvement  of  the  raj)ids,  had  estab- 
lished no  manufactories,  erected  no  school  houses^ 
organized  no  institutions  for  instruction,  and  made  no 
provision  for  the  support  of  the  poor." 

Beadle,  quoting  Gov.  Ford,  on  page  98,  says^ 
"Justice,  however,  requires  me  here  to  say,  that  upon 
such  investigation  as  I  then  could  make,  the  charge  of 
promiscuous  stealing  appeared  to  be  exaggerated." 

Ford  again,  page  irt:  "The  Mormons  had  been 
represented  to  me  as  a  lawless,  infatuated  and  fanatical 
people,  not  governed  by  the  ordinary  motives  which 
influence  the  rest  of  mankind." 

Another  statement  of  his,  page  98:  "But  the  great 
cause  of  popular  fury  was,  that  the  Mormons  at  several 
preceding  elections  had  cast  their  vote  as  a  unit,  there- 
by making  the  fact  apparent,  that  no  one  could  aspire 
to  the  honors  or  ofifices  of  the  country  within  the  sphere 
of  their  influence,  without  their  approbation  and  votes."" 

It  was  similar  in  Missouri.  Beadle  says,  page  39:: 
"In  April,  1833,  a  number  of  Missourians  came  to- 
gether in  Independence,  and  decided  that  'means  of 
defence  ought  to  be  taken,'  but  determined  upon  noth- 
ing. The  first  June  number  of  the  'Morning  and 
Evening  Star'  contained  an  intemperate  article, headed, 
*Free  People  of  Color,'  which  excited  the  wrath  of  the 
old  citizens  against  the  Mormons,  as  'abolitionists/ 
and  was  answered  by  a  small  pamphlet,  headed,  'Be- 
ware^  of  False  Prophets.'  As  summer  advanced,  it 
appeared  that  the  Mormons  would  be  sufficiently 
numerous  to  carry  the  county  at  the   August   election, 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM     REVlp:\VKD.  20I. 

and  this  roused  all  t*be  fears  of  t)ie  old  settlers  afresh. 
Without  apparent  concert,  an  armed  mob  of  three 
hundred  assembled  at  Independence,  tore  down  the 
newspaper  office,  larred  and  feathered  several  of  the 
Saints,  whipped  two  of  them  a  little,  and  ordered  all  to 
leave  the  county.'' 

Page  ii6  sa3's:  "The  spiritual  wives  of  the  dead 
Prophet  filled  the  city  with  their  cries,  but  his  lawful 
wife  Emma,  was  quiet  and  resigned." 

Dr.  B.  \y.  Richmond,  an  eye  witness,  and  not  a 
Mormon,  said  of  Emma  Smith:  ">ix  times  she  at- 
tempted to  see  the  bodies,  and  six  times  she  was 
removed  in  the  arms  of  her  two  attendants." — Herald, 
January  i,  1876. 

Page  82  contains:  "So  completely  had  Joe's  head 
been  turn^ed  and  so  wild  and  visionary  had  he  become, 
that  it  was  not  without  reason  that  his  wife,  only  a  few 
years  after  his  death,  published  a  statement  in  the 
*Quincy  Whig'  that  she  had  no  belief  in  his  prophetic 
character,  and  considered  his  pretended  revelations 
the  emanations  of  a  diseased  mind."  She  did  nothing 
of  the  kind,  or  more  than  one  expose  of  Mormonism 
would  have  published  it;  why  does  not  Mr.  Beadle 
furnish  it? 

Page  375  says:  ^'Joseph  Smith  had  a  dozen 
spiritual  wives;  but  three  sons  survived  him- all  of 
his  legal  wife  "  Strange  that  an  even  dozen  were  not 
prolific! 

Of  Joseph  Smith's  fortune,  reputed  to  be  a  million, 
that  accumulated  from  sale  of  land,  Beadle  gives  one 
use  he  put  it  to  on  page  428:  "With  this  he  paid  all 
his  old  debts  in  Ohio."  *  * 

Mr.  Beadle  divides  time  on  page  351:       "I.      The 


202.  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED. 

raonogamic  period:  from  its  origin  till  1843,  during 
which  time  all  iheir  publications  and  sermons  were 
opposed  to  polygamy  in  their  tone.  II.  The  transi- 
tion period:  from  1843  till  1852,  when  polygamy  was 
secretly  taught  and  extended,  but  openly  denied  and 
condemned.  III.  The  polygamic  period:  from  1852 
to  the  present,  in  all  which  time  polygamy  has  been 
avowed  and  defended  as  an  essential  part  of  Mormon 
religion." 

Page  347  says:  "So  the  doctrine  was  more  and 
more  openly  discussed,  and  finally,  on  the  2Qth  of 
August,  1852,  it  was  publicly  announced  by  Brigham 
Young,  in  a  meeting  at  Salt  Lake  City,  where  the  reve- 
lation was  for  the  first  time  publicly  read  and  pro- 
nounced valid." 

Page  429:  "In  i860,  young  Smith  was  'called  as 
a  Prophet'  and  the  'Re-organized  Church'  was  set  up, 
with  head-quarters  at  Piano,  Illinois.  They  number 
twenty  or  thirty  thousand  in  the  West,  and  have  flour- 
ishing missions  in  Great  Britain  and  Scandinavia.  In 
July,  1863,  E.  C.  Briggs  and  Alex.  McCord,  their  first 
missionaries  to  Utah,  reached  Salt  Lake  and  created 
quite  a  sensation;  Brigham  intimated  to  them  that  their 
lives  were  in  danger,  and  refused  them  the  use  of  any 
public  building  in  the  city.  But  General  Connor  was 
then  in  command  at  Camp  Douglas,  with  a  small  pro- 
vost guard  in  the  city,  and  the  Brighamites  dared  not 
try  violence;  Briggs  visited  the  people  at  their  homes 
and  preached  wherever  Gentiles  would  open  their 
houses  to  him,  and  soon  had  many  converts.  Nearly 
two  hundred  of  these  left  the  territory  in  1864,  under 
a  military  escort  furnished  by  General  Connor,  and 
since   that   time  many   more  have  left  Utah,  and    their 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM     KEVIEWKD.  203. 

missions    there   include    over    five    hundred    members. 

See  how  Mr.  Beacile  plies  his  pen  on  the  fly  ques- 
tion! Verily  he  is  a  great  writer  and  discloses  often  how 
authentic  his  book  is.  Pages  217  and  251.  "On  the 
morning  of  August  28th,  1868,  from  the  heights  east  of 
Green  River,  then  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  Terri- 
tory, I  took  my  first  view  of  Utah,  .'^t  the  end  of  two 
weeks  in  Salt  Lake  City  my  impressions  are,  on  the 
whole,  rather  favorable.  I  find  the  city  quiet,  appar 
ently  in  good  order,  neat  and   pleasant  to  dwell  in  " 

Pages  472  and  162:  "In  Salt  Lake  City,  the  flies 
are  probably  worse,  both  as  to  number  and  peculiari- 
ties, than  in  any  other  city  in  America,  but  fortunately 
thek  time  is  very  short.  During  the  spring  and  early 
summer  they  are  rarely  seen;  in  August  they  begin  to 
multiply,  'coming  in  with  the  emigration,'  according  to 
local  phrase,  meaning  the  Mormon  emigrants,  who  for- 
merly completed  the  journey  across  the  plains  by  the 
latter  part  of  July.  From  the  middle  of  August  till 
cool  weather  they  are  perfectly  fearful,  certainly  much 
worse  than  they  need  be  if  proper  cleanliness  were 
practiced;  large,  flat-headed,  light-winged  and  awkward, 
they  light  and  crawl  over  the  person  in  the  most  annoy- 
ing manner,  not  yielding,  like  'Gentile  flies,'  to  a  light 
brush  or  switch,  but  requiring  literally  to  be  swept  off. 
No  other  part  of  the  Territory  I  have  visited,  is  half  so 
bad  in  this  respect  as  Salt  Lake  City,  and  the  southern 
valleys  seem  peculiarly  free  from  this  pest.'' 

"The  Secrets  of  the  Great  City"  (New  York)  pub- 
lished two  years  before  Beadle's  work,  or  in  1868,  con- 
tains a  cut  entitled  "Noon  Day  Prayer  meeting,  at  the 
Wickedest  Man's  Dance  House,"  which  Mr.  Beadle 
reproduced  in  his  work  between  pages   248-9,  and  en- 


204.  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED. 

titled  it  "Mormon  Missionaries  Preaching  to  the  Mor- 
mons/' This  piece  of  piracy  is  quite  fitting  to  his 
work  as  a  whole.  If  this  man  is  not  the  ten  cent  novel 
writer,  he  should  join  him,  if  falsifying  is  a  success. 
''Members  of  congress  and  government  officials"  must 
have  been  very  proud  of  this  book!     See  title  page! 


Examination  of  Mr.  T.  B.  H.  Stenhouse's  Book. 
He  was  twenty-five  years  a  Mormon.  He  cites  five 
pages  of  authorities  consulted,  some  of  which  contain 
thirty-eight  to  the  page.  The  inscription  of  his  title 
page  is: 

"THE  ROCKY   MOUNTAIN   SAINTS. 

"a  full  and  complete  history  of  the  mormons  from 

THE  first  vision  of  JOSEPH  smith  to  the  last 

COURTSHIP  of  brigham  young,     by  t.  b. 

h.   stenhouse.     d.   appleton  & 

CO.,    new  YORK,     1873." 

Stenhouse,  page  i:  "The  faith  of  the  Latter  Day 
Saints  was  in  the  beginning  strictly  confined  to  Biblical 
doctrines,  and  the  preaching  of  the  first  elders  was 
something  like  a  resuscitation  of  the  dispensation  com- 
mitted to  the  apostolic  fisherman  of  Galilee."' 

Page  4:  "The  reader  will  readily  perceive  from 
the  following  chapters  that  Mormonism  has  contained 
within  itself  the  elements  of  a  sincere  faith."   *  * 

Page  6:  "The  polygamic  faith  contended  for  tOr 
day  was  not  in  the  original  programme,  neither  has  it 
contributed  to  create  the  power  that  now  reigns  in 
Utah." 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM     REVIEWtD.  205. 

On  page  184  Mr.  Stenhouse  refers  to  John  C.  Ben- 
nett and  his  book  "Mormonism  Exposed,"  thus: 
''There  is,  no  doubt,  much  truth  in  Bennett's  book, 
'Mormonism  Exposed,'  but  no  statement  that  he 
makes  can  be  received  with  confidence.  *  *  He  (Ben- 
nett) states  that  he  never  was  a  believer,  but  only 
assumed  the  faith  in  order  to  become  thoroughly  initia- 
ted, and  qualify  himself  for  its  exposure." 

Mr.  Stenhouse  then  confirms  his  words  with  Gov. 
Ford  in  his  ''History  of  Illinois."  Page  263:  "This 
Bennett  was  probably  the  greatest  scamp  in  the  western 
country.  I  have  made  particular  enquiries  concerning 
him,  and  have  traced  him  in  several  places  in  which  he 
had  lived  before  he  joined  the  Mormons,  in  Ohio, 
Indiana  and  Illinois,  and  he  was  everywhere  accounted 
the  same  debauched,  unprincipled,  and  profligate  char- 
acter." 

If  Bennett  is  not  to  be  believed,  how  about  Sten- 
house? who  claims  in  his  introductory  pages,  fellow- 
ship "over  a  quarter  of  a  century,"  *  *  "familiar  in- 
timacy with  the  apostles  and  leading  elders,  and  for  a 
dozen  years  had  daily  intercourse  with  Brigham  Young." 
Why  did  he  not  quit  sooner? 

On  page  193,  Mr.  Stenhouse  charges  Brigham  with 
the  preservation  of  falsehood  a  "quarter  of  a  century," 
which  he  seems  to  think  too  long.  "Brigham  is  pecul- 
iarly unctuous  in  confessing  other  men's  sins  to  the 
public,  but  his  own  are  never  mentioned.  It  would 
have  been  equally  proper  for  him  on  this  occasion  to 
have  explained  why  he,  for  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury, had  preserved  that  falsehood  in  the  'Book  of 
Covenants,'  [monogamic  marriage  regulation. — Author] 
notwithstanding  the  opportunities  he  had  of  removing 


206.  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMOMSM     RKVlEWEf). 

it  in  the  several  editions  of  the  book  that  have  been 
published  under  his  Presidency.  Why  does  not  the 
good  Mr.  Stenhouse  explain  his  "quarter  of  a  century 
membership?" 

Page  472,  Mr.  Stenhouse  says:  "The  believers  in 
the  new  faith  were  organized  in  1830;  they  were  only 
six  in  number,  but  they  were  full  of  their  mission.,  and, 
in  their  way,  wholly  devoted  to  Christ.  Their  heroism 
in  the  proclamation  of  their  doctrines  never  was  sur- 
passed in  any  age  or  in  any  country,  by  any  other  dis- 
ciples or  missionaries  of  any  faith.  They  were  pure  in 
thought,  and  burned  with  zeal  for  the  redemption  of 
mankind." 

On  page  194,  Mr.  Stenhouse  says:  "Joseph  Smith 
and  Oliver  Co.vdery  must,  as  early  as  the  first  year 
of  the  church,  have  contemplated  *  *  polygamy." 
While  on  page  6,  already  given,  he  says:  "The 
polygamic  faith  contended  for  today  was  not  in  the 
original  programme."  Mr,  Stenhouse  having  testified 
on  both  sides,  is  impeached  and  out  of  court. 

Page  196,  Mr,  Stenhouse  says:  "It  is  not  a  little 
singular  that  the  most  forcible  arguments  that  have  yet 
been  adduced  against  Mormon  polygamy  are  those  fur- 
nished by  the  pens  of  the  three  sons  of  Joseph  Smith?" 

Then  occurs  a  memorial  of  which  Mr.  Stenhouse 
says:  "The  name  of  the  oldest  son  of  the  prophet  is 
found  at  the  head." 

Of  the  polygamic  revelation,  Mr.  Stenhouse  says,  on 
pages  201  and  202:  "Had  this  revelation  been  pre- 
sented to  the  Mormons  with  the  'first  principles'  taught 
by  the  elders,  not  one  in  ten  thousand  among  them 
would  have  accepted  it  as  an  emanation  from  Jesus 
Christ. " 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED.  207. 

"On  the  first  of  January,  1853,  it  was  published  in 
the  Star.  It  fell  like  a  thunderbolt  upon  the  Saints, 
and  fearfully  shattered  the  mission." 

Page  202:  "The  statistical  reports  of  the  mission 
in  the  British  Islands,  June  30,  1853,  show  that  the 
enormous  number  of  one  thousand,  seven  hundred  and 
seventy-six  persons  were  excommunicated  there  during 
the  first  six  months  of  the  preaching  of  polygamy." 

Page  208  says  of  Sidney  Rigdon:  "All  through 
his  trial,  those  who  knew  him  before  lie  was  a  Mormon, 
spoke  of  him  in  such  a  manner  as  leaves  no  room  to 
doubt  Rigdon's  own  sincerity  in  the  Mormon  faith, 
and  his  total  ignorance  oif  the  existence  of  Joseph 
Smith  and  the  Book  of  Mormon  till  after  that  work  had 
been  published." 

Page  212  says  of  Wm.  B.  Smith,  quoting  the  Clay- 
ton County,  Iowa  Journal:  "He  served  two  years  as 
a  soldier  in  helping  to  put  down  the  rebellion.  In 
1841-2  *  *  in  legislature  of  -Illinois  *  *  a  farmer  in 
the  vicinity  of  Elkader  and  upon  Sundays  occasionally 
preaching.  As  a  man,  he  is  candid,  honest  and  upright 
— a  citizen  of  whom  rumor  speaks  no  evil,  *  *  a  faith- 
ful expounder  of  Mormonism  while  he  deprecates 
polygamy." 

On  page  204,  Mr.  Stenhouse  says:  "Unfortunate-, 
ly,  however,  for  the  peace  and  unity  of  the  Church,  in 
all  the  multitude  of  his  sayings  and  doings  he  made  no 
direct  and  open  preparation  for  the  presidency  of  the 
Church  in  case  of  his  death,  and  thus  his  martyrdom 
wrought  confusion  among  the  disciples." 

On  page  628:  "From  the  death  of  the  founder  of 
Mormonism,  the  Saints  had  had  their  attention  riveted 
on  'the  seed'  of  the  Prophet,  and   expected   that  some 


208.  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM     REVIKWF.I). 

day  the  young  man  Joseph  would  be  the  head  of  the 
Church.  Brigham  had  fostered  this  faith  in  the  Saints 
for  some  years,  but  when  in  i860  young  Joseph  was 
chosen  President  of  the  Reorganized  Church  and  pub- 
licly denounced  Brigham  *  *  David  H.  was  to  be 
the  man."  How  did  it  happen  that  the  Saints  had  their 
attention  riveted  on  the  seed  of  the  Prophet,  and  ex- 
pected that  some  day  the  young  man  Joseph  would  be 
the  head  of  the  church? 

"The  reader  is  referred  to  Judge  Philips'  decision 
on  the  Temple  Lot  case,  March  3,  1894,  where  he  sets 
forth  how  plainly  J9seph  Smith  predicted  his  successor. 
On  page  639,  Mr.  Stenhouse  says:  "The  names 
of  Godbe,  Harrison,  Tullidge,  Stenhouse  and  three 
others — not  rebels — were  called,  and,  as  all  these  gen- 
tlemen were  absent,  Brigham  in  his  anger,  moved  that 
they  all  be  'disfellowshipped'  from  the  church,  and  the 
following  brief  notification  was  sent  each: 

<<  'Salt  Lake  City,  Oct.  i6th,  1869. 
"  'Dear  Brother: — I  hereby  inform  you  that  a 
motion  was  made,  seconded,  and  carried  by  a  unanim- 
ous vote  of  the  School  of  the  Prophets  today,  that  you 
be  disfellowshipped  from  the  church  until  you  appear 
in  the  School  and  give  satisfactory  reasons  for  your 
irregular  attendance  there. 

"  'Your  brother  in  the  gospel, 

"  'Geo.  Stoddard,  Secretary.' 

"On  the  Saturday  following,  the  rebels  appeared  in 
the  School." 

Mr,  Stenhouse  continues:  "Never  before  had 
there  been  such  a  scene  in  the  'Old  Tabernacle.'  Mr. 
Godbe  frankly   stated   his   position,  and    Brigham   fol- 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM     REVIEWED.  209 

lowed  him  with  aggravating  mimicry,  turning  every- 
thing into  ridicule.  Mr.  Harrison  threw  caution  to  the 
winds,  and  answered  the  insinuations  of  the  Prophet 
defiantly.  It  was  a  squally  time,  and  not  without  ap- 
prehension of  danger."  Why  did  Mr.  Stenhouse  keep 
still? 

Page  642  says:  **To  all  this  add  that  Elders 
Godbe,  Harrison,  Kelsey,  Tullidge,  Sherman,  Law- 
rence, and  others  had  a  living  faith  to  preach — that 
which  the  people  knew  to  be  the  original  faith  of  the 
founder  of  Mormonism,  and  'the  gifts'  came  back 
again." 

Is  it  not  a  little  strange  that  after  the  ''quarter  of  a 
century"  "fellowship"  that  Mr.  Stenhouse  neither  re- 
ports himself  as  helping  to  beard  the  lion  in  his  den, 
or  with  the  others  who  rebelled,  preaching  the  "living 
faith?"  How  else  could  he  exhibit  true  manhood? 
Perhaps  he  was  practicing  as  stated  in  the  next  quota- 
tion. 

Page  665:  "Furthermore,  though  he  (Stenhouse) 
had  daily  intercourse  with  Brigham  Young,  his  family 
and  his  immediate  friends,  not  a  single  thing  that  ever 
transpired  in  Brigham's  office  or  house,  in  his  presence, 
has  been  alluded  to.  On  all  that  he  saw  or  heard  while 
Brigham's  guest,  or  when  with  him  in  the  capacity  of 
friend  a  studied  silence  has  been  maintained." 

The  readers'  attention  is  called  to  the  fact,  that 
while  Stenhouse  culls  from  more  works  and  documents 
by  far  than  the  average  writer,  and  while  his  wife 
expatiates  much  on  his  paper  and  editorship  in  Salt 
Lake  City,  not  a  scintilla  of  evidence  is  given  of  his 
denouncing  Brighamism,  or  of  having  supported  those 
who  broke  away  from  the  terrible  iniquity  before   his 


2IO.  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED. 

book  appeared.  All  he  says  relating  to  his  having  been 
a  Mormon  and  leaving  it  is,  that  he  has  ''outgrown  the 
past,"  and  the  reference  he  makes  of  his  being  ''cutoff." 

Page  588:  "It  was  the  author's  intention  when  he 
commenced  this  work  to  give  a  complete  expose  of 
polygamy,  exhibiting  that  institution  in  all  its  bearings 
and  influences  upon  the  social  life  of  the  people  of 
Utah,  but  an  unlooked  for  incident  induced  Mrs.  Sten- 
house  to  publish  what  she  knew  of  polygamy.  Had 
that  book  been  written  by  any  other  authoress,  refer- 
ence would  have  unquestionably  been  made  to  it  in  this 
work;  the  author,  therefore,  sees  no  impropriety  in 
acknowledging  that  his  wife  has  produced  a  work  which 
only  a  woman  could  write,  and  superior  to  anything 
which  he  himself  could  offer  to  the  public,  and  he  re- 
fers the  reader  to  'A  lady's  life  among  the  Mormons' 
(Russell  Bros.,  New  York)  as  a  full  and  unreserved 
Expose  of  Polygamy  in  Utah."  Let  the  reader  here' 
refer  back  to  his  title  page  where  his  work  is  stated  as 
full  and  complete  from  first  vision  of  Joseph  Smith  to 
last  courtship  of  Brigham  Young. 

The  work  of  Mrs.  Stenhouse,  here  referred  to,  was 
her  first;  the  one  we  review  hereafter  is  her  perfected 
work,  of  1876,  which  was  three  years  after  that  of  Mr. 
Stenhouse.  Of  the  first,  he  said,  it  was  "superior  to 
ANYTHING  which  he  himself  could  offer  to  the  "public." 
'  Stenhouse,  in  his  forty-ninth  chapter,  devotes  thirty- 
four  pages  to  an  expose  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  and 
follows  the -beaten  trail  of  the  ridiculous  quibbling  that 
has  been  doled  out  by  all  his  predecessors,  even  deny- 
ing, as  usual,  on  page  532,  elephants,  horses,  asses,  etc., 
as  having  existence  on  this  continent  ages  ago,  as 
claimed  in    Book  of   Mormon.       It  is  no  small   compli- 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM     RKVIEWED.  211. 

ment  to  that  book  that  after  his  "over  a  quarter  of  a 
century  fellowship"  in  the  church,  he  dare  not  make  an 
attack  from  the  standpoint  of  morals  or  doctrine 
found  therein.  Can  the  book  be  entirely  human  and 
its  doctrines  and  morals  beyond  attack?  The  conces- 
sion by  failing  so  to  attack,  is  strong  evidence  in  its 
favor.  All  who  have  tried  to  expose  it  have  quibbled 
over  its  literary  inelegance  as  viewed  by  them. 


''TELL   IT  ALL. 

''THE   STORY   OF  A  LIFE'S    EXPERIENCE   IN   MORMONISM,    BY 

MRS.    T.    B.    H.    STENHOUSE.        A.    D.    WORTHING - 

TON    &    CO.,     PUBLISHERS,     1876." 

A  preface,  written  by  Mrs.  Harriet  Beecher  Stowe, 
contains  the  following  sentences:  "In  these  pages,  a 
woman,  a  wife  and  mother,  speaks  of  the  sorrows  and 
oppressions  of  which  she  has  been  the  witness  and  the 
victim.  *  *  It  is  no  sensational  story,  but  a  plain, 
unvarnished  tale  of  truth,  stranger  and  sadder  than  fic- 
tion." 

The  closing  sentence  or  phrase  of  her  own  preface 
is:  "I  have  told  the  truth,  the  whole  truth  and  noth- 
ing but  the  truth." 

The  entire  preface  is  a  lamentation  over  the  un- 
truthfulness of  nearly  all  the  works  on  Mormonism  which 
had  been  written  before  hers.  If  any  reliable  works 
had  been  written  they  were  either  out  of  date  or  were 
only  partial  accounts,  in  her  estimation. 

The  opening  sentence  of  chapter  one  is:  "The 
story   which  I  propose  to  tell  in  these  pages  is  a  plain. 


2  12.  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED. 

unexaggerated  record  of  facts  which  have  come  immed- 
iately under  my  own  notice,  or  which  I  have  myself 
personally  experienced." 

Of  early  preaching  in  England,  she  says:  "Their 
first  teaching  had  been  a  mixture  of  Bible  texts  about  the 
last  days,  and  arguments  about  the  millenium,  the  return 
of  the  Jews  to  Palestine,  the  resurrection  of  the  dead 
and  a  new  revelation  and  a  new  prophet." — p.  41. 

Read  this  in  connection:  "Mormonism  was  bold 
then  in  Europe,  it  had  no  American  history  to  meet  in 
those  days.  *  *  'i'he  saving  love  of  Christ,  the  glory 
and  fullness  of  the  everlasting  gospel,  the  gifts  and 
graces  of  the  Spirit,  together  with  repentance,  baptism 
and  faith,  were  the  points  upon  which  the  Mormons 
touched,  and  who  can  wonder  that  with  such  topics  as 
these,  and  fortifying  every  statement  with  powerful 
and  numerous  texts  of  Scripture,  they  should  captivate 
the  minds  of  religiously  inclined  people.'' — p.  48. 

* 'Controversy  wduld  arise,  and  his  appeal  (that  of 
missionary)  to  Scripture,  literally  interpreted,  was 
almost  invariably  triumphant." — p.  56. 

**A  person  who  has  never  attended  a  Mormon 
meeting  can  form  no  idea  of  the  joyous  spirit  which 
seemed  to  animate  every  one  present.  I  am  not,  of 
course,  speaking  of  modern  meetings,  but  of  meetings 
as  they  used  to  be." — p.  57. 

Of  meetings  in  the  old  room  in  England:  "Never 
did  I  experience  so  rapt  a  feeling  of  communion  with 
'the  armies  of  heaven'  as  I  felt  in  that  unadorned  meet- 
ing room,  surrounded  by  those  plain  but  earnest  and 
united  people." — p.  59. 

On  the  6th  of  February,  1850,  *  *  I  was  married 
to   *   *   Elder  Stenhouse." — p.  72. 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM     REVlEWtl).  213 

•'Not  long  after  my  marriage  I  saw  a  miracle  per- 
formed— a  real  true  miracle.  Let  not  the  reader  smile, 
or  think  that  I  am  onl)  jesting,  for  I  am  quite  in  earn- 
est, and  mean  what  I  say.  I  saw  a  sick  person  who 
for  years  had  been  confined  to  her  bed,  her  limbs  dis- 
torted and  her  back  bent,  *  *  I  saw  them  annoint  her, 
and  lay  hands  upon  her,  and  pray  most  fervently,  and 
I  saw  the  same  decrepit  old  woman  walking  and  sing- 
ing and  praising  God.  If  that  was  not  a  miracle  I 
should  like  to  know  what  is" — p.  74. 

Compare  the  following  with  the  above:  "After 
this  I  saw  plenty  *  *  of  miracles.  *  *  That  they  were 
miracles  in  the  sense  in  which  we  generally  use  that 
term,  I  do  not  for  a  moment  believe,  but  I  think  that 
in  cases  where  the  efforts  of  the  elders  were  successful, 
scientific  enquiry  would  readily  show  that  the  effects 
were  only  natural  results  of  natural  causes.  One 
brother,  a  deacon  in  the  church,  was  suddenly  attacked 
with  cholera.  He  sent  immediately  for  Elder  Sten- 
house.  *  *  In  the  case  of  the  deacon  to  whom  I  have 
just  alluded,  the  experiment  was  successful." — p.  86. 

*'0n  the  following  day,  an  enthusiastic  sister  came 
running  to  Elder  Stenhouse  for  him  to  come  and  lay 
hands  upon  her  husband  who  had  also  been  attacked 
by  cholera.  *  *  Elder  Stenhouse  laid  hands  upon  him 
in  the  usual  way,  but  instead  of  commanding  the 
disease  to  depart  as  it  was  expected  he  would,  he  prayed 
that  the  afflicted  brother  *  *  might  pass  away  in  peace. 
The  head  of  the  dying  man  instantly  fell  back  upon  his 
pillow,  and  all  was  over." — p.  87. 

Of  a  sick  child:  ''My  husband  complied,  and  be- 
gan by  praying  that  the  child  might  rest  well,  when 
suddenly,  as  if  by  an   irresistible   impulse   he  implored 


2  14-  WORKS    AGAINST    MOKiMONISM     REVIEWED. 

that  the  child  might  die  easily  and  without  pain.  *  * 
In  a  moment  we  knew  that  the  child  was  dying  *  * 
peacefully,  as  if  he  were  going  to  sleep." — p.  88. 

Mrs.  Stenhouse  does  not  tell  us  if  scientific  enquiry 
would  discover  why  Elder  Stenhouse  was  so  moved  in 
these  two  cases.  But  she  does  say:  "There  are 
moments  of  our  life  when  silence  is  better  than  speech, 
and  it  is  safer  to  trust  in  the  mercy  of  God  than  try  to 
shape  our  own  destiny." — p.  94.  Why  not  use  scien- 
tific enquiry,  Mrs.  Stenhouse? 

On  page  120  she  gives  a  personal  experience  of 
extremity,  and  says:  *'We  realized  literally  the  neces- 
sity of  trusting  to  God's  daily  mercies  for  our  daily 
bread,   *  *   our  only  hope." 

"Never,  till  the  possibility  that  polygamy  might 
some  day  be  acknowledged  by  the  church,  began  to  be 
whispered  *  *  did  a  solitary  doubt  respecting  my  re- 
ligion itself  intrude  upon  my  mind." — p.  139. 

Pages  143-149  recite  a  sickly  tale  of  Mrs.  Sten- 
house theoretically  accepting  the  doctrine  of  polygamy 
and  how  she  and  Madame  Baliif  taught  it.  She  says: 
"That  God  had  sent  the  revelation  I  never  questioned, 
and  all  rebellion  to  his  will  I  knew  to  be  sinful." 

Compare  with  the  above  this:  "About  this  time 
I  procured  a  copy  of  the  revelation  *  *  and  read  it 
through  carefully  and  calmly,  from  beginning  to  end. 
The  reader  may,  perhaps,  remember  that  when  a  copy 
of  it  was  first  given  me,  in  Switzerland,  years  before,  I 
was  so  angry  and  indignant  that  when  I  had  got  only 
partly  through  it,  I  cast  it  from  me  in  disgust  as  an  out- 
rage upon  all  that  was  good  and  true.  From  that  time, 
although  I  had  heard  portions  of  it  quoted  and  read,  I 
had  never   perused  it  as  a   whole." — p.  541.       Yet   she 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM     REVIEWED.  215 

and  Madame  Baliff  had  taught  the  doctrine  of  polygamy! 

On  page  132  she  relates  the  first  appearance  of  the 
revelation  in  the  Millenial  Star,  January,  1853.  Of  it 
she  says:  *'I  retired  to  my  own  chamber.  There,  for 
the  first  time  I  read  that  document,   *  * 

Pages  135-138  contain  the  revelation,  then  follows: 
*'And  this  was  the  revelation — this  mass  of  confusion, 
cunning,  absurdity,  falsehood  and  bad  grammar!" 
Yet  she  had  taught  it,  had  no  doubt  but  that  God  gave 
it,  had  not  read  it,  and  then  again  tells  us  she  had. 

''New  Year's  we  set  foot  upon  the  shore  of  the  New 
World."— p.  178.      (Jan.  i,  1856). 

Having  reached  Utah,  she  says:  "The  Tabernacle 
services  seemed  to  me  as  strange  as  the  women.  *  *  As 
for  the  spirituality  and  devotional  feeling  which  charac- 
terized our  meetings  in  England,  they  were  conspicuous 
only  by  their  absence  and  many  devout  Saints  *  *  feel 
as  if  they  had  come  to  witness  a  puppet  show,  rather 
than  atter^d  a  religious  meeting." — p.  251. 

"My  own  experience  as  a  Mormon  woman  leads 
me  to  form  anything  but  a  flattering  opinion  of  the 
Mormon  stories  told  by  Gentile  pens." — p.  258. 

'T  do  not  think  Brigham  Young  a  wicked  man  or 
an  imposter  in  the  sense  in  which  those  words  are 
ordinarily  used;   *   *  ." — p.  266, 

Compare  this  with  the  above:  "The  innocent 
blood  which  cries  for  vengeance  against  Brigham  Young 
and  some  of  the  leaders  *  *  is  sufficient  to  weigh  the 
purest  spirit  which  stands  before  the  throne  of  God 
down  to  the  nethermost  abyss  of  hell." — p.  365. 

Pages  304-308  are  devoted  to  scenes  and  condi- 
tions in  Missouri  and  Illinois  where  she  does  not  claim 
to  have  been  at   all,  yet  the  opening   sentence   of  the 


2  I  6.  WORKS    AGAINST    MOKMONISM     RKVI  F.WEI). 

book  says:  "Facts  which  have  come  immediately 
under  my  own  notice,  or  which  I  have  myself  exper- 
ienced." Now  listen!  **One  instance  I  can  give  from 
my  own  personal  knowledge." — p.  319.  She  promised 
they  all  should  be. 

''Shortly  after  our  arrival  in  Salt  Lake  City,  we 
visited  President  Young,  who  received  us  very  gracious- 
ly, and  appointed  an  early  day  for  us  to  dine  with  him. 
On  that  occasion  *  *  we  passed  an  exceedingly 
pleasant  evening." — p.  263. 

Compare  this:  ''It  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty 
that  I  could  control  my  feelings  sufficiently  to  call  upon 
any  family   where   there    was    more   than   one   wife." — 

P-  345- 

And  this:  "When  I  first  knew  Bro.  Brighara, 
poor  man,  he  had  only  sixteen  living  with  him  in  Salt 
Lake  City,  and  even  now  he  has  no  more  than  nine- 
teen!  *  *   Eliza  Ann  has  run  away." — p.  276. 

"My  husband  gave  no  signs  of  apostasy,^ and,  as  a 
Saint,  I  knew  he  would  never  think  of  undertaking  any- 
thing without  the  permission  of  Bro.  Brigham." — p.  511. 

Regarding  Stenhouse's  visits  east:  "After  these 
visits  his  editorials  took  a  more  liberal   turn." — p.  544. 

"My  husband's  paper  was  silent  upon  the  subject, 
and  in  consequence  he  was  suspected  of  being  in  league 
with  the  enemy." — p.  577. 

"The  change  from  Methodism  to  Mormonism,  as  it 
was  first  presented  to  the  world,  was  nothing  near  so 
great,  as  the  departure  which  Brigham  has  made  from 
the  original  faith  of  the  Saints." — p.  614. 

"In  the  preceding  pages  I  have  endeavored  to 
present  to  the  reader  the  story  of  my  life's  experience 
in  Mormonism  and  polygamy,  and  to  place  before  him 


.  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM     REVIEWED.  2  I  7. 

a  truthful    picture  of    the    doctrine    of    the    Saints." — 
p.  618. 

She  proceeds  again  to  lament  the  unreliability  of 
others,  as  she  had  done  in  her  preface,  and  then  says: 
♦'I  have  told  my  story  simply  but   truthfully." — p.  620. 

Again  she  weaves  in  the  phrase  "all  too  true!" 
Again,  "I  have  most  scrupulously  kept  to  the  very  letter 
of  the  truth."— p.  620. 

.  That  she  told  much  truth  is  granted.  That  she 
was  most  reckless  and  contradicted  herself  often  is  as 
clear  as  the  noonday  sun.  She  emerges  from  the  mael- 
strom of  pollution — polygamy;  intends  to  make  some 
money;  panders  to  the  prejudice  of  the  world,  and 
attempts  to  down  the  early  part  of  the  latter  day 
work  as  a  farce,  as  well  as  her  late  experience  in  Utah. 
Let  the  reader  calmly  think  over  all  that  Mrs.  Harriet 
Beecher  Stowe  subscribed  to  and  vouched  for,  refer- 
ring to  the  book  as  "a  plain,  unvarnished  tale  of  truth, 
stranger  and  sadder  than  fiction."  Mr.  Stenhouse  had 
a  very  large  idea  of  the  gullibility  of  the  people,  when 
he  wrote  of  Mrs.  Stenhouse's  book,  that  it  was  "superior 
to  anything  he  could  offer  to  the  public." 


"WIFE   NUMBER.  NINETEEN; 

"OR,     THE    STORY    OF    A    LIFE    IN    BONDAGE.        HY    ANN 
ELIZA    YOUNG,     1876." 

"All  the  events  which  I  shall  relate  will  be  some 
of  my  own  personal  experiences,  or  the  experience  of 
those  so  closely  connected  with  me  that  they  have 
fallen  directly  under  ray  observation,  and  for  whose 
truth  I  can  vouch    without  hesitation.    *  *   I  was  born 


2l8.  WORKS    AGAINST    MOKMONISM     RKVIEWEI).    • 

at  Nauvoo,  Illinois,  on  the  13th  of  September,  1844." 
—p.  32. 

Speaking  of  her  father  she  says:  "He  first  heard  the 
Mormon  doctrine  preached  in  1833.  "^  *  Joseph  Smith 
had  given  the  Book  of  Mormon  to  the  world,  and  had 
announced  himself  as  another  Messiah." — p.  ^^.  Why 
did  not  Eliza  give  us  some  evidence  on  this?  It  is 
basely  false. 

Speaking  of  the  Kirtland  bank  matter  she  says: 
''But,  as  usual,  he  eluded  the  officers  of  justice,  and  all 
attempts  to  arrest  him  were  unavailing." — p.  41. 

'^Others  had  him  arrested  every  little  while!  It  is 
a  matter  of  official  record  that  he  was  several  times 
arrested  but  not  proven  guilty  as  charged." — p.  41. 

Eliza  tells  of  being  told  by  a  ''person:"  "At  one 
time  he  was  himself  sent  by  the  prophet  to  steal  lumber 
for  coffins.  He  went  with  a  party  of  men  down  the 
river,  loaded  a  raft  with  lumber  from  a  Gentile  saw- 
mill, and  brought  it  up  to  the  city  of  the  Saints." — p.  52. 

In  the  light  of  extract  from  page  ;^^  she  can  vouch 
for  this  THIEF.  Just  how  the  raft  was  taken  up  the 
RIVER  OVER  THE  RAPIDS  she  does  not  say.  The  reader 
should  remember,  however,  it  was  for  coffins. 

Eliza  says:  "I  feel  that  I  must  pay  this  tribute  to 
the  Mormon  people.  Naturally,  they  were  a  law-abid- 
ing,   peace-loving,  intensely  religious  people."— p.  58. 

Compare  the  above  with:  "Although  its  founder 
arrogated  to  it  the  title  of  the  'Church  of  Jesus  Christ,' 
there  is  nothing  Christ-like  in  its  teachings  or  in  its 
practice." — p.    59. 

And  with  this:  "They  applied  oil,  and  -laid 
hands'  on  all  sick  persons,  without  regard  to  their  ail- 
ments."— p.    124.       See   Mark    16:  18  and  James  5:  14, 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM     REVIEWED.  219. 

whether  this  was  Christ-like  in  teaching  or  practice? 
See  first  few  pages  of  both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stenhoiise's 
books,  as  examined  in  this  j)art  of  this  work. 

''The  first  public  announcement  Joseph  ever  made 
of  his  belief  in  the  plurality  of  wiA-es  was  at  Nauvoo  in 
1840." — p.  67.  This  is  a  base  lie,  all  his  work  proves 
the  opposite  as  seen  in  the  evidence  and  decision  of 
the  recent  Temple  lot  case. 

Compare  this  with  the  last  citation:  "So  intense 
was  the  feeling  that  in  the  Summer  of  1843,  the  prophet, 
moved  by  pressure  *  *  was  compelled  to  intrench 
himself  behind  a  *  *  revelation.  *  *  It  was  at  first 
only  communicated  to  a  chosen  few,  *  *  .  Young  de- 
livered it  to  the  world  in  1852." — pp.  76,  77.  Joseph 
had  preached  it  in  1840  by  public  announcement,  but 
now  it  was  restricted  to  a  ''chosen  few."     Pooh! 

"Joseph  Smith  had  been  assassinated  the  previous 
July." — p.  89.  Ignorance  or  stupidity,  which?  It  was 
June  27,  1844.  On  page  64  she  gives  a  cut  view  of  the 
assassination  as  unreal  as  her  date.  The  building  still 
stands  and  is  properly  given  by  Beadle;  having  seen  it, 
I  know.      (R.  E.) 

Of  house  furnishing:  "It  was  the  very  cheapest 
pine  furniture  which  could  be  bought  in  the  city,  and 
the  crockery  was  dishes  that  Brigham  had  left  when  he 
sold  the  Globe  bakery." — p.  458. 

Selling  furniture:  "Arrangements  having  been 
previously  made,  three  furniture  vans  came  at  the  same 
time,  and  in  forty  minutes  my  entire  household  goods 
were  in  charge  of  the  auctioneer.  They  were  sold  the 
next  day,  and  I  realized  three  hundred  and  eighty  dol- 
lars from  the  sale." — p.  546.  Eliza  tried  to  start  her- 
self out  with  funds,  at  any  rate! 


220.  WORKS    AGAINhT    MOKMONISM     REVIEWED. 


"MORMONISM  UNVEILED; 

"OR,     THE    LIFE    AND    CONFESSIONS    OF    JOHN    D.     LEE.'' 

A  book,  bearing  the  above  title  is  now  going  the 
rounds,  and  the  enemies  of  the  latter  day  work  think 
they  have  now  found  the  weapon  which  shall  forever 
demolish  "Mormonism"  as  a  whole,  and  many,  though 
refusing  to  accept  the  testimony  of  honest,  law  abiding 
citizens  in  regard  to  "Mormonism,"  are  ready  to  swal- 
low with  greediness  every  statement  that  militates  against 
the  people  they  have  tried  so  long,  but  in  vain,  to  over- 
throw; though  it  proceeds  from  a  culprit  who  has  been 
executed  for  his  crimes.  This  work  is  published  by 
Bryan,  Brand  &  Co.,  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  who  claim 
to  have  received  the  manuscript  from  Wm,  W.  Bishop, 
of  Pioche,  Nevada,  Lee's  confidential  attorney,  in 
whose  hand  the  history  and  confession  had  been  placed 
by  Lee  himself,  prior  to  his  execution. 

I  had  repeatedly  been  informed  that  a  perusal  of 
this  work  would  satisfy  me  that  "Mormonism"  was  a 
fraud  from  its  inception;  but  at  the  risk  of  having  my 
faith  shaken  I  concluded  to  examine  the  work,  and  my 
conclusion  is,  it  will  not  do  to  rely  on  as  evidence. 
For  the  benefit  of  those  who  may  be  trying  to  get  at 
the  truth  of  the  matter,  and  those  who  may  feel  scared 
about  the  book,  I  will  give  my  reasons  for  the  above 
conclusion. 

Under  the  head  of  "How  I  First  Heard  of  the  Doc- 
trine of  Polygamy,"  Lee  is  made  to  say  that  while  act- 
ing as  police  in  the  c  ity  of  Nauvoo,   he  was  ordered  by 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED.  22  1. 

the  Chief  of  Police  to  guard  the  house  of  a  widow  and 
knock  down  a  man  who  was  in  the  habit  of  spending 
his  nights  there.  Lee  reported  the  order  to  Hyrum 
Smith,  and  says,  "Hyrum  then  told  me  that  the  man 
that  I  was  ordered  to  attack  was  Howard  Egan,  and 
that  he  had  been  sealed  to  Mrs.  Clawson,  and  that  their 
marriage  was  a  most  holy  one;  that  it  was  in  accord- 
ance with  a  REVELATION  that  the  prophet  had  recently 
received  direct  from  God.  He  then  explained  to  me 
fully  the  doctrine  of  polygamy,  and  wherein  it  was  per- 
mitted, and  why  it  was  right."     (Page  288). 

Again,  he  is  made  to  say:  "During  the  winter  (of 
1844),  Joseph,  the  prophet,  set  a  man  by  the  name  of 
Sidney  Hay  Jacobs,  [Henry  Jacobs. — Ed.],  to  select 
from  the  Old  Bible  such  scriptures  as  pertained  to 
polygamy,  or  celestial  marriage,  and  to  write  it  in  a 
pamphlet  form,  and  to  advocate  the  doctrine.  This 
he  did  as  a  feeler  among  the  people  to  pave  the  way  for 
celestial  marriage.  *  *  The  excitement  among  the  peo- 
ple became  so  great  that  the  subject  was  laid  before 
the  prophet.  No  one  was  more  opposed  to  it  than  his 
brother  Hyrum  who  denounced  it  as  from  beneath." 
(Page  146). 

Here  Lee  is  made  to  say,  that  when  he  first  heard 
of  polygamy  it  was  explained  to  him  by  Hyrum,  and 
declared  to  be  "most  holy."  Again,  when  polygamy 
was  first  introduced  Hyrum  "denounced  it  as  from  be- 
neath." Which  of  these  statements  is  true?  Both  can 
not  be.  If  it  be  argued  that  he  first  denounced  it,  and 
then  when  the  revelation  was  given,  he  advocated,  we 
answer  that  Lee  has  Hyrum  denouncing  it  as  late  as 
the  winter  of  1844,  and  it  is  claimed  that  the  revelation 
was  given  the    12th  day    of  July,    1843.       Moreover,  if 


2  22.  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM     REVIEWED. 

Lee  had  never  heaid  of  it  until  explained  to  him  by 
Hyrum,  how  did  he  know  that  he  had  before  denounced 
it?  I  see  no  way  of  harmonizing  the  passages,  and 
must,  therefore,  reject  one  or  both. 

Again,  he  says:  "In  less  than  one  year  after  I 
first  learned  the  will  of  the  Lord  concerning  the  mar- 
riage of  the  Saints,  I  was  the  husband  of  nine  wives." 
(Page  288).  On  page  166,  he  tells  us  that  his  second 
wife,  Nancy  Bean,  was  sealed  to  him  in  the  winter  of 
1845.  So,  according  to  his  own  statement,  he  had  but 
one  wife  in  the  days  of  the  martyrs,  as  they  were  killed 
the  27th  day  of  June,  1844. 

On  page  168  he  tells  us:  "About  the  ist  of  De- 
cember, 1845,  we  commenced  fitting  up  the  rooms  for 
giving  endowments."  Now  notice,  that  more  than 
seventeen  months  had  elapsed  since  the  death  of  Hyrum 
Smith,  yet  he  goes  on  to  tell  us  that:  "In  the  Temple 
I  took  three  more  wives  -  Martha  Berry,  Polly  Ann 
Workman  and  Delethea  Morris."  On  page  289,  he 
gives  us  the  order  in  which  he  took  his  wives,  and  says: 
"Polly  Ann  Workman  was  eighth,  and  Martha  Berry 
ninth."  Now,  these  women  were  not  sealed  to  him 
until  more  than  seventeen  months  after  the  death  of 
Hyrum,  yet  Lee  was  the  husband  of  "nine  wives"  "in 
less  than  one  year"  from  the  time  he  first  heard  the  doc- 
trine, and  Hyrum  first  explained  it  to  him,  and  it  took 
these  wives  to  complete  the  nine. 

"O,  what  a  tangled  web  they  weave 
Who  practice  solely  to  deceive!" 

Again,  he  says,  on  page  289,  "In  i847",  while  at 
Council  Bluffs,  Brigham  Young  sealed  to  me  three 
women  in  one  night,  viz.,  Nancy  Armstrong,  Polly  V. 
Young    and   Louisa  Young       Next  I  was  sealed  to  *  * 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM     REVIEWED.  223. 

Emeline  Vaughn;"  but  on  page  199  he  says  the  next 
(after  these  three)  was  "Emeline  Woolsey."  And  on 
page  199  he  says  Emeline  Woolsey  was  his  thirteenth 
wife,  but  on  page  289  he  says  Louisa  Young  was  num- 
ber thirteen. 

In  giving  the  number  of  his  wives  on  page  289,  he 
does  not  mention  Emeline  Woolsey;  I  suppose  he  had 
forgotten  her.  Well,  just  as  I  expected,  polygamy 
causes  a  man  to  forget  his  wife! 

On  page  184,  he  states  that  in  1844,  prior  to 
Joseph  Smith  being  nominated  for  the  Presidency  of 
the  United  States,  'he  wrote  to  Martin  Van  Buren,  also 
to  Wm.  H.  Harrison,  asking  them  their  "views  in 
regard  to  the  grievances  and  wrongs  of  the  Mormon 
people,"  should  they  be  elected.  Did  not  Lee  know 
that  Martin  Van  Buren  took  his  seat  in  1837,  served 
his  time,  and  retired  from  office  three  years  before  this, 
and  that  General  Harrison  took  his  seat  4th  of  March, 
1841,  and  died  a  month  later?     Comment  is  useless. 

On  page  134,  in  speaking  of  his  travels  in  Tennes- 
see, in  connection  with  Elder  Twist,  in  1842  or  1843, 
he  says:  "While  we  were  in  Memphis,  General  Wm. 
Henry  Harrison,  then  a  candidate  for  President, 
arrived,  and  a  great  political  meeting  of  the  Whig  party 
was  held  in  the  open  air." 

Well,  General  Harrison  may  have  been  a  candi- 
date for  President  after  his  death,  but  this  is  the  first, 
intimation  I  ever  had  of  it. 

He  states  that  Lyman  Wight  was  one  of  the  Twelve 
before  the  difficulty  commenced  in  Missouri,  in  1838, 
(see  p.  56),  which  is  not  so,  as  David  Patten  was  killed 
during  the  trouble,  and  Lyman  Wight  was  ordained  in 
his  stead. 


2  24-  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM     REVIEWED. 

On  page  135  he  says  that  at  Memphis,  Tennessee, 
they  "took  passage  in  a  new  steamer  that  was  owned  in 
Nashville,  and  was  then  making  its  first  trip  from  Nash- 
ville to  New  Orleans.  The  boat  got  into  a  race  with 
the  Eclipse,  another  fine  boat.  '^  *  I  threw  off  *  *  and 
our  boat  soon  left  the  Eclipse  far  in  the-  rear.  The 
steamers  parted  at  the  mouth  of  the   Ohio." 

Now  this  boat  was  on  its  way  from  "Nashville  to 
New  Orleans;"  after  passing  Memphis,  Tenn.,  it  got 
into  a  race  with  the  Eclipse,  and  parted  company  with 
her  at  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio.  I  wish  some  of  those 
who  are  so  much  carried  away  with  ''Lee's,  Confession," 
would  tell  us  how  a  steamer  can  pass  the  mo  th  of  the 
Ohio,  between  Memphis  and  New  Orleans.  I  confess 
I  can  not  understand  it. 

On  page  137,  he  tells  us  that  he  used  "the  Masonic 
sign  of  distress"  while  in  trouble  in  Tennessee;  then  on 
page  144  he  gives  us  an  account  of  joining  the  Masonic 
order  after  he  had  returned  to  Nauvoo.  Is  it  reason- 
able to  suppose  that  he  understood  and  used  Masonic 
signs  before  he  was  a  Mason? 

On  page  51,  he  says  that  the  first  sermon  that  he 
"ever  heard  concerning  Mormonism"  was  in  1837,  and 
on  page  35,  he  says  he  was  baptized  June  T7th,  1838, 
in  Abrosia,  Davies  county,  Missouri.  This  would  do 
very  well,  but  he  spoils  it  all  by  saying  on  page  279,  "I 
have  been  with  the  Church  since  the  dark  days  in  Jack- 
son county.  Now  every  one  acquainted  with  the  history 
of  the  Church  knows  that  they  left  Jackson  county 
the  autumn  of  1833.  ^c)  if  Lee  never  heard  a  sermon 
"concerning  Mormonism"  till  1837,  his  statement  that 
he  had  "been  with  the  Church  since  th.e  dark  days  in 
Jackson  county,"  must  be  a  mistake  to  say  the  least  of  it. 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM     REVIEWED.  225. 

On  page  120,  he  says,  the  "plates  containing  the 
Book  of  Mormon,  and  God's  will,  *  *  were  taken  to 
Professor  Anthon  of  New  York  City,  for  translation." 
Now  it  has  never  been  claimed  by  those  connected  with 
this  affair  that  the  plates  were  taken  to  Prof.  Anthon; 
on  the  contrary,  Joseph  Smith  was  forbidden  to  show 
them  to  any  only  a  few  that  were  chosen  to  bear  testi- 
mony, and  their  names  may  be  found  in  connection 
with  the  Book  of  Mormon.  A  few  of  the  characters 
were  transcribed  and  sent  to  Professor  Anthon,  and 
that  is  all  that  was  claimed  by  Joseph  Smith  who  sent 
them,  or  Martin  Harris  who  carried  them,  or  by  Pro 
fessor  Anthon  himself.  And  the  Prophet  Isaiah  only 
predicts  that  "the  words  of  the  book"  should  be  sent  to 
him  that  is  learned.      (Isa.  29). 

Again  he  says,  on  page  184:  "While  there,  (St. 
Joseph,  Mo.)  I  met  Luke  Johnson,  one  of  the  witnesses 
to  the  Book  of  Mormon.  I  had  a  curiosity  to  talk  with 
him  concerning  the  same.  We  took  a  walk  down  on 
the  river  bank.  1  asked  him  if  the  statement  he  signed 
about  seeing  the  angel  and  the  plates  was  true.  If  he 
did  see  the  plates  from  which  the  Bock  of  Mormon  was 
printed  or  translated.      He  said  it  was  true." 

Now  every  one  who  knows  anytliing  about  the 
Book  of  Mormon  or  its  history,  knows  that  Luke  John- 
son was  not  one  of  the  witnesses.  But  three  (besides 
Joseph  Smith)  testify  to  having  segn  the  "angel,"  viz: 
Oliver  Cowdery,  David  Whitmer  and  Martin  Harris. 
Luke  Johnson  did  not  even  testify  to  having  seen  the 
plates,  and  according  to  history  he  did  not  see  them. 

I  am  tempted  right  here  to  say  I  do  not  believe 
Lee  ever  wrote  the  book  bearing  his  name,  for  he  must 
have  known  that  Luke  Johnson  was  not  one  of  the  wit- 


226.  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED. 

nesses  to  the  Book  of  Mormon:  he  must  also  have 
known  that  the  claim  had  never  been  made  that  the 
plates  were  taken  to  Professor  Anthon. 

But  whether  I.ee,  Bishop  or  the  publishers  are  re- 
sponsible for  these  statements  it  does  not  change  the 
FACT  that  the  book  is  unreliable.  While  1  have  no 
sympathy  with  the  works  of  darkness  in  Utah,  my  faith 
in  original  "Mormonisni"  is  unshaken  by  the  perusal  of 
the  work;  and  while  I  sincerely  hope  that  all  those 
engaged  in  the  "Mountain  Meadow  Massacre,"  and 
crimes  of  like  nature,  may  be  overtaken  and  punished 
according  to  their  crime,  I  can  have  but  little  confi- 
dence in  "Mormonism  Unveiled,  or  the  Life  and  Con- 
fessions of  John  D.  Lee." 

Heman  C.  Smith. 
Garland,  Alabama,  Sept.  llth,  1878. 


"HISTORY  OF  THE   MORMONS,   OR  LETTER 
DAY  SAINTS. 

"FROM  THEIR  ORIGIN  TO  THE  PRESENT   TIME.       BY  SAMUEL 

M.    SMUCKER,   A.    M.        HURST  &  CO.,    PUBLISHERS, 

122    NASSAU    STREET,    NEW    YORK. 

COPYRIGHT     l88l." 

Having  reached  page  ^6,  the  errand  of  Harris  to 
Professor  Anthon  it  taken  up,  and  while  all  parties  con- 
cerned, Anthon^  included,  say  a  paper  was  shown  him, 
Mr.  Smucker  on  page  37,  says:  "Submitted  the  plates 
to  him."  "Professor  had  seen  the  plates."  While  so 
much  is  put  in,  from  Anthon's  letter  is  withheld  the 
phrases:  "And  which  Dr.  M.  confessed  he  had  been 
unable  to  understand."     The  other  being:     "As  far  as 


WORl^S    AGAINST    MORMONISM     REVIEWED.  227. 

I  now  recollect." — Howe's  Book,  page  272,  is  the    first 
appearance  of  it  in  print. 

The  following  except  emphasized  words  appear  on 
pages  36  and  37. 

"ITe  was  at  once  captivated  by  the  doctrines  and 
pretensions  of  Joseph,  and  lent  the  'prophet'  the  sum 
of  fifty  dollars  to  enable  him  to  publish  his  new  Bible. 
Joseph,  though  asked  by  Martin  Harris  to  show  the 
plates,  refused,  on  the  pretence  that  he  was  not  pure  of 
heart  enough  to  be  allowed  a  sight  of  such  treasures; 
but  he  generously  made  a  transcript  of  a  portion  of 
them  upon  paper,  which  he  told  him  to  submit  to  any 
learned  scholar  in  the  world,  if  he  wished  to  be  satisfied. 
Martin  Harris  was  an  earnest  man,  and  he  set  out  from 
Palmyra  to  New  York,  to  visit  Professor  Anthon,  a 
gentleman  of  the  highest  reputation,  both  in  America 
and  Europe,  and  well  known  for  his  valuable  and  cor- 
rect editions  of  the  classics.  He  found  the  Professor, 
and  submitted  the  plates  to  him.  The  Mormons  at  this 
time  were  too  insignificant  to  excite  attention,  and  the 
result  of  Martin  Harris'  interview  with  the  learned 
man  was  not  known  until  three  or  four  years  afterwards, 
when  a  report  having  been  spread  abroad  by  the  Mor- 
mons that  the  Professor  had  seen  the  plates,  and  pro- 
nounced the  inscriptions  to  be  in  the  Egyptian  charac- 
ter, that  gentleman  was  requested  by  a  letter  directed 
to  him  by  M.  E.  D.  Howe,  of  Painesville,  Ohio,  to 
declare  whether  such  was  the  fact?  Professor  Anthon 
returned  the  following  answer,  detailing  his  interview 
with  the  simple-minded  Martin  Harris: 

"  'New  York,  Feb.  17,  1834. 

"  'Dear  Sir:  —  I  received  your  letter  of  the  9th, 
and  lose  no  time  in  making  a  reply.     The  whole  story 


228.  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVimVED. 

about  my  pronouncing  the  Mormonite  inscription  to 
be  "Reformed  Egyptian  Hieroglyphics,"  is  perfectly 
false.  Some  years  ago  a  plain,  apparently  simple- 
hearted,  farmer  called  on  me  with  a  note  from  Dr. 
Mitchell, 'of  our  cit)',  now  dead,  requesting  me  to  deci- 
pher, if  possible,  a  paper  which  the  farmer  would  hand 
me,  AND  WHICH  Dr.  Mi  confessed  he  had  been  unable 
TO  understand.  Upon  examining  the  paper  in  ques- 
tion, I  soon  came  to  the  conclusion  that  it  was  all  a 
trick,  perhaps  a  hoax.  When  I  asked  the  person  who 
brought  it  how  he  obtained  the  writing,  he  gave  me,  as 
FAR  AS  I  now  recollect,  the  following  account:  A 
"gold  book,"  consisting  of  a  number  of  plates  fastened 
together  by  wires  of  the  same  material,  had  been  dug 
up  in  the  northern  part  of  the  State  of  New  York,  and 
along  with  it  an  enormous  pair  of  "spectacles!"  These 
spectacles  were  so  large,  that  if  any  person  attempted 
to  look  through  them,  his  two  eyes  would  look  through 
one  glass  only,  the  spectacles  in  question  being  alto- 
gether too  large  for  the  human  face.  "Whoever,"  he 
said,  "examined  the  plates  through  the  glasses  was 
enabled,  not  only  to  read  them,  but  fully  to  understand 
their  meaning."  *   * 

"  'This  paper,  in  question,  was  in  fact  a  singular 
scroll.  It  consisted  of  all  kinds  of  crooked  characters, 
disposed  in  columns,  and  had  evidently  been  prepared 
by  some  person  who  had  before  him  at  the  time  a  book 
containing  various  alphabets,  Greek  and  Hebrew  let- 
ters, crosses  and  flourishes;  Roman  letters  inverted  or 
placed  sideways,  ^ere  arranged  and  placed  in  perpen- 
dicular columns,  and  the  whole  ended  in  a  rude  delinea- 
tion of  a  circle,  divided  into  various  compartments, 
decked     with    various    strange     marks,    and    evidently 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED.  229 

copied  after  the  Mexican  Calendar,  given  by  Hum- 
boldt, but  copied  in  such  a  way  as  not  to  betray  the 
source  whence  it  was  derived,'  " 

Of  matters  in  Missouri,  page  89  says:  ''The  Lieu- 
tenant-Governor of  the  state  of  Missouri,  Lilburn  W. 
Boggs — a  man  who  from  thenceforward  appears  to  have 
pursued  the  Mormons  with  unrelenting  hostility — was 
in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the  riot,  but  declined 
to  take  any  part  in  preserving  the  peace." 

Of  the  situation  at  Nauvoo,  Smucker,  on  page  128, 
says:  ''The  organization  of  the  sect  began  to  be  more 
fully  and  admirably  developed,  and  the  Mormons  were 
even  at  this  early  period  of  their  career,  a  pre-eminent- 
ly industrious,  frugal,  and  pains-taking  people.  They 
felt  the  advantages  of  co-operation.  Though  robbed 
and  plundered,  they  did  not  lose  their  time  in  vain 
repinings,  but  set  themselves  to  repair  the  calamities 
they  had  suffered.  The  needy  were  aided  by  the  more 
affluent  in  the  purchase  of  land,  and  in  the  plenishing 
of  their  farms;  and  the  inducements  which  they  held 
out  to  skilled  mechanics  and  others  to  join  them,  were 
not  merely  of  a  religious  and  spiritual,  but  of  a  social 
and  worldly  character.  The  Mormons  as  a  body  under- 
stood the  dignity  and  the  holiness  of  hard  work,  and 
they  practiced  to  the  fullest  extent  the  duty  of  self-re- 
liance." 

Pages  no,  in  gives  this:  "The  following  ad- 
dress, which  is  of  itself  sufficient  evidence  of  the  cruelty 
and  injustice  with  which  the  sect  was^  treated,  was  de- 
livered at  Far  West  by  Major- General  Clark  to  the 
Mormons,  after  they  had  surrendered  their  arms,  and 
declared  themselves  prisoners  of  war: 

"  'Gentlemen, — You  whose  names  are  not  attached 


2;^0.     ■      WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM     KEVFEWED. 

to  this  list  of  names,  will  now  have  the  privilege  of  go- 
ing to  your  fields  to  obtain  corn  for  your  families, 
wood,  etc.  Those  that  are  now  taken  will  go  from 
thence  to  prison,  be  tried,  and  receive  the  due  merit  of 
their  crimes;  but  you  are  now  at  liberty,  all  but  such 
as  charges  may  be  hereafter  preferred  against.  It  now 
devolves  upon  you  to  fulfill  the  treaty  that  you  have 
entered  into,  the  leading  items  of  which  I  now  lay  be- 
fore you.  The  first  of  these  you  have  already  com- 
plied with,  which  is,  that  you  deliver  up  your  leading 
men  to  be  tried  according  to  law.  Second,  that  you 
deliver  up  your  arms — this  has  been  attended  to.  The 
third  is,  that  you  sign  over  your  properties  to  defray 
the  expenses  of  the  war — this  3  ou  have  also  done. 
Another  thing  yet  remains  for  you  to  comply  with — that 
is,  that  you  leave  the  state  forthwith;  and  whatever 
your  feelings  concerning  this  affair,  whatever  your  inno- 
cence, it  is  nothing  to  me.  General  Lucas,  who  is 
equal  in  authority  with  me,  has  made  this  treaty  with 
you.  I  am  determined  to  see  it  executed.  The  orders 
of  the  Governor  to  me  were,  that  you  should  be  exter- 
minated, and  not  allowed  to  continue  in  the  state;  and 
had  your  leader  not  been  given  up,  and  the  treaty  com- 
plied with,  before  this,  you  and  your  families  would 
have  been  destroyed,  and  your  houses  in  ashes. 

"  'There  is  a  discretionary  power  vested  in  my 
hands,  which  I  shall  try  to  exercise  for  a  season.  I  did 
not  say  that  you  shall  go  now,  but  you  must  not  think 
of  staying  here  another  season,  or  of  putting  in  crops, 
for  the  moment  you  do,  the  citizens  will  be  upon  you. 
I  am  determined  to  see  the  Governor's  message  fulfilled, 
but  shall  not  come  upon  you  immediately — do  not 
think  that  I  shall  act  as  I  have  done  any    more — but  if 


WORKS    AGAINST    xMORMONISM    REVIEWED.  23 1. 

I  have  to  come  again,  because  the  treaty  which  you 
have  made  here  shall  be  broken,  you  need  not  expect 
any  mercy,  but  extermination;  for  I  am  determined  the 
Governor's  order  shall  be  executed.  As  for  your  lead- 
ers, do  not  once  think — do  not  imagine  for  a  moment — 
do  not  let  it  enter  your  mind — that  they  will  be  deliv- 
ered, or  that  you  will  see  their  faces  again,  for  their 
fate  is  fixed,  their  die  is  cast,  their  doom  is  sealed.'  " 

Mr.  Smucker  gives  a  preacher's  account  of  the 
* 'prophet"  in  the  pulpit,  on  page  151:  "Another  ac- 
count of  Joseph  was  published  about  the  same  time  by 
a  Methodist  preacher  of  the  name  of  Prior. 

*'  *I  will  not  attempt,'  said  this  writer,  'to  describe 
the  various  feelings  of  my  bosom  as  I  took  my  seat  in 
a  conspicuous  place  in  the  congregation,  who  were 
waiting  in  breathless  silence  for  his  appearance.  While 
he  tarried,  I  had  plenty  of  time  to  revolve  in  my  mind 
the  character  and  common  report  of  that  truly  sin-gular 
personage.  I  fancied  that  1  should  behold  a  counte- 
ance  sad  and  sorrowful,  yet  containing  the  fiery  marks 
of  rage  and  exasperation.  I  supposed  that  I  should  be 
enabled  to  discover  in  him  some  of  those  thoughtful 
and  reserved  features,  those  mystic  and  sarcastic 
glances,  which  I  had  fancied  the  ancient  sages  to  pos- 
sess. I  expected  to  see  that  fearful,  faltering  look  of 
conscious  shame,  which,  from  what  I  had  heard  of  him, 
he  might  be  expected  to  evince.  He  appeared  at  last; 
but  how  was  I  disappointed,  when  instead  of  the  heads 
and  horns  of  the  beast  and  false  prophet,  I  beheld  only 
the  appearance  of  a  common  man  of  tolerably  large 
proportions.  I  was  sadly  disappointed,  and  thought 
that,  although  his  appearance  could  not  be  wrested  to 
indicate  anything  against   him,  yet  he  would   manifest 


232.  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM     REVIEWED. 

all  I  had  heard  of  him  when  he  began  to  preach.  I  sat 
uneasily,  and  watched  him  closely.  He  commenced 
preaching,  not  from  the  Boook  of  Mormon,  however, 
but  from  the  Bible;  the  first  chapter  of  the  first  of  Peter 
was  his  text.  He  commenced  calmly,  and  continued  dis- 
passionately to  pursue  his  subject,  while  I  sat  in  breath- 
less silence,  waiting  to  hear  that  foul  aspersion  of  the 
other  sects,  that  diabolical  disposition  of  revenge,  and 
to  hear  that  rancorous  denunciation  of  every  indivi- 
dual but  a  Mormon.  I  waited  in  vain;  I  listened  with 
surprise;  I  sat  uneasy  in  my  seat,  and  could  hardly  per- 
suade myself  but  that  he  had  been  apprised  of  my  pres- 
ence, and  so  ordered  his  discourse  on  my  account,  that 
I  might  not  be  able  to  find  fault  with  it,  for  instead  of 
a  jumbled  jargon  of  half  connected  sentences,  and  a 
volley  of  imprecations,  and  diabolical  and  malignant 
denunciations  heaped  upon  the  heads  of  all  who  differed 
from  him,  and  the  dreadful  twisting  and  wresting  of  the 
Scriptures  to  suit  his  own  peculiar  views,  and  attempts 
to  weave  a  web  of  dark  and  mystic  sophistry  around 
the  gospel  truths,  which  I  had  anticipated,  he  glided 
along  through  a  very  interesting  and  elaborate  dis- 
course with  all  the  care  and  happy  facility  of  one  who 
was  well  aware  of  his  important  station,  and  his  duty  to 
God  and  man.'  " 

On  page  152,  he  describes  Nauvoo:  ''At  length 
the  city  burst  upon  my  sight.  Instead  of  seeing  a  few 
miserable  log  cabins  and  mud  hovels,  which  I  had  ex- 
pected to  find,  I  was  surprised  to  see  one  of  the  most 
romantic  looking  places  that  I  had  visited  in  the  west 
The  buildings,  though  many  of  them  were  small,  and 
of  wood,  yet  bore  the  marks  of  neatness  which  I  have 
not  seen  equaled  in  the  country." 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM     REVIEWED.  233. 

Another  item  of  Prior's  account,  on  page  155:  "I 
passed  on  into  the  more  active  parts  of  the  city,  look- 
ing into  every  street  and  lane  to  observe  all  that  was 
passing.  I  found  all  the  people  engaged  in  some  use- 
ful and  healthy  employment.  The  place  was  alive  with 
business— much  more  so  than  any  place  I  have  visited 
since  the  hard  times  commenced.  I  sought  in  vain  for 
anything  that  bore  the  marks  of  immorality,  but  was 
both  astonished  and  highly  pleased  at  my  ill  success. 
I  could  see  no  loungers  about  the  streets  nor  any  drunk- 
ards about  the  taverns.  I  did  not  meet  with  those  dis- 
torted features  of  ruffians,  or  with  the  ill-bred  and  im- 
pudent. I  heard  not  an  oath  in  the  place,  I  saw  not  a 
gloomy  countenance;  all  were  cheerful,  polite,  and  in- 
dustrious." 

An  Englishman's  letter,  given  by  Smucker,  fur- 
nishes the  following  on  page  159:  "I  have  witnessed 
the  Mormons  in  their  assemblies  on  a  Sunday,  and  I 
know  not  where  a  similar  scene  could  be  effected  or 
produced.  With  respect  to  the  teachings  of  the  Prophet, 
I  must  say  that  there  are  some  things  hard  to  be  under- 
stood, but  he  invariably  supports  himself  from  our  good 
old  Bible.  Peace  and  harmony  reign  in  the  city.  The 
drunkard  is  scarcely  ever  seen,  as  in  other  cities,  neither 
does  the  awful  imprecation  or  profane  oath  strike  upon 
your  ear;  but,  while  all  is  storm  and  tempest  and  con- 
fusion abroad  respecting  the  Mormons,  all  is  peace  and 
harmony  at  home." 

Col.  Kane,  brother  of  the  arctic  explorer,  is  quoted 
by  Mrs.  Smucker  on  page  236,  thus:  "I  can  scarcely 
describe  the  gratification  I  felt  in  associating  again  with 
persons  who  were  almost  all  of  Eastern  American  origin 
— persons  of  refined  and  cleanly  habits  and  decent  Ian- 


234-  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM     REVl  KWED. 

guage — and  in  observing  their  peculiar  and  interesting 
mode  of  life,  while  every  day  seemed  to  bring  with  it 
its  own  especial  incidents,  fruitful  in  the  illustration  of 
habits  and  character.  It  was  during  the  period  of 
which  I  have  just  spoken,  that  the  Mormon  battalion 
of  five  hundred  and  twenty  men  was  recruited  and 
marched  for  the  Pacific  coast." 

Again,  of  sportive  scenes  on  the  Missouri  River, 
on  page  248:  "But  in  the  hours  after  hours  that  I  have 
watched  this  sport  at  the  ferry-side,  I  never  heard  an 
oath,  or  the  language  of  quarrel,  or  knew  it  provoked 
the  least  sign  of  ill-feeling." 

Mr.  Smucker's  first  of  two  accounts  of  the  intro- 
duction of  polygamy  or  spiritual  wifery,  occurs  on 
page  161:  "The  power  and  influence  of  Joseph  were 
too  great  not  to  excite  envy,  and  Sidney  Rigdon  did 
great  mischief  by  introducing  a  novelty  called  the 
'spiritual  wife'  doctrine.  This  caused  great  scandal, 
both  among  the* Mormons  and  among  their  enemies." 

Of  Joseph    Smith's   attitude  on  the   matter   occurs 
the  following,  page  171:      "Joseph    would  not   tolerate 
this  scandal,  and  every  offender  was  forthwith  excom 
municated,  and  publicly  declared  to  be  cut  off  from  the 
church." 

Page  172:  "The  Mormons  then,  and  ever  since, 
have  indignantly  denied  the  truth  of  this  particular 
charge;  and  of  all  the  charges  brought  against  Joseph 
as  regards  a  plurality  of  wives — and  in  especial  refer- 
ence to  the  'spiritual  wife'  doctrine — they  allege  what 
appe;ars  from  his  whole  career  to  be  most  probable,  that 
he  was  at  all  times  most  anxious  to  preserve  the  church 
free  from  taint,  and  to  exclude  adulterers,  seducers, 
and  persons  of  immoral  lives." 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONMSM     REVIEWED.  235. 

Page  174:  "It  is  utterly  .  incredible  that  Joseph 
Smith,  who,  great  impostor  as  he  was,  never  missed  an 
opportunity  to  denounce  seducers  and  adulterers  as  un- 
fit to  enter  into  his  church,  should  have  been  concerned 
directly  or  indirectly  in  proceedings  like  these,  though 
it  is  scarcely  surprising  that  when  such  stories  had  been 
circulated  by  men  whom  the  'Prophet'  had  thwarted  or 
reprimanded,  there  should  have  been  found  some  per- 
sons willing  to  credit  them." 

Pages  382-384  contain  the  leading  quotations  on 
the  matter  from  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  showing 
the  strict  monogamic  rule.  On  page  384  is  found: 
*'And  if  they  are  to  be  judged  by  their  writings,  we 
may  assume  that  their  efforts  are  continually  directed 
towards  the  attainment  of  a  higher  system  of  morality 
than  that  commonly  in  vogue." 

On  page  379  is  found:  "We  must  remember,  too, 
thatS«iith,  universally,  in  all  his  letters,  revelations,  and 
speeches,  denounced  adultery  and  fornication.  Subject 
as  all  founders  of  religious  systems  are  to  calumny,  we 
cannot  resist  the  doubt  that  there  may  have  been  mis- 
representation and  exaggeration,  both  as  to  the  character 
of  Joseph  Smith  and  the  cause  of  his  untimely  end." 

After  all  this,  Mr.  Smucker  gives  us  the  second 
account  of  the  introduction  of  polygamy  on  page  413: 
"The  prominent  and  peculiar  feature  in  this  part  of 
their  system,  is  the  defence  and  prevalence  of  polyg- 
amy, which  Joe  Smith  first  introduced,  at  the  com- 
mencement of  his  career,  and  which  has  ever  since  pre- 
vailed among  his  followers." 

And  on  page  416:  "Joe  Smith  had  over  forty  wives 
at  Nauvoo,  and  yet  the  number  of  his  offspring  fell  far 
short  of  even  that  of  Young." 


236.  WORKS    AGAINST    xMORMONlSM     REVIEWED. 

A  Statement  about  Oliver  Cowdery  on  page  375, 
says:  "Thus,  we  learn  from  an  obituary  in  the  Millen 
nial  Star  (July  1st,  1850),  that  one  of  the  'three  wit- 
nesses' has  lately  died.  Elder  Wallace  informs  us, 
that  Oliver  Cowdery  died  last  February,  of  consump- 
tion. Brother  Cowdery  is  one  of  the  'three  witnesses' 
to  the  Book  of  Mormon.  For  rebellious  conduct 
he  was  expelled  from  the  Church  some  years  since. 
Although  he  stood  aloof  from  the  Church  for  several 
years,  he  never,  in  a  single  instance,  cast  the  least 
doubt  on  the  truth  of  his  former  testimony.  Sometime 
in  1847  or  1848,  he  sought  to  be  re-admitted  to  the 
fellowship  of  the  Saints.  His  return  to  the  fold  was 
hailed  with  great  joy  by  the  Saints,  who  still  remem- 
bered him  with  kindly  recollection,  as  one  who  had  suf- 
fered much  in  the  first  rise  of  the  Church." 

Mr.  Smucker,  in  his  book,  has  dealt  more  fairly  than 
many  others,  but,  like  most  all  who  have  exposed  Mor- 
monism,  he  has  not  failed  to  expose  himself. 


AN  EXAMINATION  OF   REV.   M.   T.   LAMB'S 
GOLDEN  BIBLE. 

ISSUED    1886    BY    WARD    AND    DRUMMAND,     NEW    YORK. 

Preface,  page  12,  he  says:  "The  book  is  not  writ- 
ten for  literary  critics.  It  makes  no  pretensions  what- 
ever to  any  literary  excellence." 

Page  14  of  the  preface,  he  says:  "The  author 
desires  to  acknowledge  his  great  obligations  to  Dr. 
Brisbin  of  Philaderphia,  and  Dr.  Augustus  Le  Plongeon 
of  Brooklyn,  two  of  the  most  accomplished  antiquar- 
ians now  living,  for  valuable  suggestions  in  their  special 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM     REVIEWED.  237. 

lines  of  study.  Also  to  Rev.  H.  G,  Weston,  D.  D., 
President  of  Crozier  Theological  Seminary;  Rev.  T.  J. 
Morgan,  Principal  of  the  State  Normal  School,  Provi- 
dence, Rhode  Island;  Rev.  J.  W.  Wilmarth,  D.  D.,  of 
Philadelphia;  Rev,  A.  J.  Rowlands,  D.  D.,  of  Balti- 
more; Rev.  G.  F.  Genung,  of  New  London  City,  and 
Rev.  T.  F.  Day,  of  the  Presbyterian  Board  of  Utah,  for 
valuable  criticisms  and  suggestions.  And  especially  to 
the  Rev.  G.  W.  Hervey,  D.  D.,  of  New  York,  for  a 
careful  and  painstaking  examination  of  the  entire 
work." 

No  literary  merit  after  all  this-  flourish  of  titles! 
just  think!  One  almost  feels  dizzy  passing  over  such  a 
list.  Then  Mr.  Lamb  thinks  a  book  may  have  merit 
other  than  literary  merit.  Why  then  does  he  use  nearly 
all  his  precious  space  trying  to  defeat  the  Book  of 
Mormon  from  a  literary  point  of  view,  and*that,  too,  in 
the  face  of  the  fact  that  it  nowhere  claims  elegance  in 
that  line,  but,  on  its  opening  page  statement,  signed 
Moroni,  says:  "And  now  if  there  are  faults  they  are 
the  mistakes  of  men."  Why  does  not  Mr.  Lamb  attack 
the  doctrines  and  morals  set  forth  in  it?  If  it  is  entire- 
ly human  as  he  claims,  in  its  origin,  it  would  be  easy  to 
make  an  inroad  upon  it. 

Pages  I  and  2  he  proceeds:  **It  is  claimed  for  the 
Book  of  Mormon  that  it  is  superior  to  the  Bible  in 
several  particulars:  It  was  translated  by  Divine  in- 
spiration, the  Bible  was  not.  The  translation  of  the 
Bible  was  the  work  of  fallible  men,  and  therefore  liable 
to  many  errors;  the  Book  of  Mormon,  was  translated 
through  the  <Urim  and  Thummim,'  helped  by  an  angel 
sent  from  heaven,  and  therefore  free  from  the  errors 
that  necessarily  attach  to  a  human    translation."      The 


2^8.  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM     REVIEWED. 

phrase  ''helped  by  an  angel  sent  down  from  heaven," 
is  a  deliberate  falsehood  of  Mr.  Lamb's. 

On  page  2,  he  quotes  from  the  testimony  of  the 
three  witnesses  to  the  Book  of  Mormon:  "And  we 
know  also  that  they  have  been  translated  by  the  gift 
and  power  of  God,  for  his  voice  hath  declared  it  unto 
us,  wherefore  we  know  of  a  certainty  that  the  work  is 
true."  This  was  not  strong  enough  in  its  claim  of  di- 
vine aid.  Mr.  Lamb  takes  the  pains  to  add  an  angel 
by  way  of  help. 

Then  on  pages  2,  9,  10,  240  and  241  he  gives  us 
eight  extracts  from  accounts  of  the  translation,  not  one 
of  which  connects  angel  help  with  the  translating. 

A  ninth  extract  occurs  on  page  240,  where  other 
matters^  are  treated  of,  but  not  one  word  said  about 
translating;  in  this  one  an  angel  is  mentioned. 

On  page  3,  Mr.  Lamb  quotes  from  the  Book  of 
Mormon:  "For  behold  they  have  taken  away  from 
the  gospel  of  the  Lamb  many  parts  which  are  plain  and 
most  precious."  Which  refers  to  the  Bible  as  it  is, 
having  passed  through  many  changes  during  the  ages. 
Does  the  building  up  and  tearing  down  of  creeds,  the 
existence  of  all  the  various  sects,  argue  such  a  condi- 
tion of  the  Bible?  or,  does  Mr.  Lamb  wish  to  plead 
guilty  for  himself  and  all  the  rest  that  they  conflict  of 
preference? 

Mr.  Lamb  says,  on  page  5:  "It  professes  two 
things — first  to  be  a  true  record  or  history  of  three  dif- 
ferent colonies  that  came  over  from  the  old  world  to 
this  country  in  ancient  times,  and  lived  and  flourished 
here  for  a  period  of  twenty- five  hundred  years  Second, 
It  professes  to  contain  the  fullness  of  the  gospel  of 
Christ,  a  fuller   and  more  complete  presentation  of  the 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM     REVIEWED.  239. 

plan  of  salvation  than  is  found  in  the  Bible,  either  in 
the  Old  or  New  Testament."  Does  Mr.  Lamb  examine 
the  book  on  these  facts,  its  history  and  doctrine? 
Whether  it  is  more  clear  on  points  of  doctrine  than  the 
Bible?     What  its  moral  tone  is?     He  does  not. 

After  making  and  exploding  a  few  bubbles,  Mr. 
Lamb  says  on  page  ii:  **But  after  a  careful  study  of 
the  book,  a  conscientious  and  painstaking  examination 
of  all  the  evidences  he  has  been  able  to  gather  both  for 
and  against  it,  the  author  of  these  pages  has  been  forced 
to  reject  every  one  of  the  above  claims.  He  is  com- 
pelled to  believe  that  no  such  people  as  are  described 
in  the  Book  of  Mormon  ever  lived  upon  this  continent. 
*  *  In  short,  that  no  such  civilization,  Christian  or 
otherwise,  as  is  described  in  the  Book  of  Mormon,  ever 
had  an  existence  upon  either  North  or  South  America. '' 

This  sweeping  statement  he  seems  to  have  forgot- 
ten; page  268  says:  '*We  should,  therefore,  certainly 
expect  to  find,  in  every  portion  of  both  continents,  the 
same  evidences  of  an  ancient  civilization  as  are  found 
in  Central  America." 

Again,  on  page  272:      "Remains  of  antiquity  have 

been  so  well  preserved  *  *  upon  paper  and  parchment, 

hundreds  of  ancient  books  and  manuscripts  were  found 

well  preserved  at  the  time  of  the  Spanish  conquest,  three 

hundred  years  ago."     Mr.  Lamb!!     Listen!!! 

"Oh  what  a  tangled  web  they  weave, 
Who  pra'^tice  solely  to  deceive." 

You  are  down  and  out  of  court  on  your  own  evidence. 

Mr.  Lamb  adds  to  his  own  impeachment  in  his 
eighth  chapter,  pages  253-283.  Why  does  he  do  so 
after  a  "painstaking  examination  of  all  the  evidence  on 
both  sides." 


240.  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONfSM    REVIEWED. 

On  pages  ii  and  12  he  saysr  "On  the  contrary, 
the  book  is  altogether,  and  in  every  part  of  it,  except 
so  much  as  is  borrowed  from  the  Bible,  a  modern  fab- 
rication. *  *  In  the  discussion  of  this  important  ques- 
tion, the  author  proposes  to  say  nothing  whatever  of 
the  various  theories  that  have  be.en  propounded  to  ac- 
count for  the  origin  of  the  book.  *  *  There  is,  as  the 
author  conceives,  a  far  more  direct  and  satisfactory 
method  of  reaching  a  conclusion — that  is,  by  an  exam- 
ination of  the  book  itself." 

Into  this  examination  Mr.  Lamb  plunges,  using 
the  most  of  the  space  from  page  12  to  253  to  show  the 
LITERARY  INELEGANCE  of  the  Book  of  Momion.  Yet 
Moroni  on  the  opening  page  says:  "And  now  if  there 
are  faults  they  are  the  mistakes  of  men."  The  same  is 
expressed  in  other  words  on  pages  44,  495  and  500. 
(Small  print  edition).  Mr.  Lamb  claims  no  literary 
merit  for  his  own  book,  but  thinks  its  merits  as  to  facts, 
all  right.  Why  is  not  the  Book  of  Mormon  rated  in  the 
same  way?  Mr.  Lamb  is  a  preacher;  wonder  if  he  ever 
read,  "Whatsoever  ye  would  that  men  should  do  to  you 
do  ye  even  so  to  them?'^  Are  all  the  books  of  the 
Bible  of  the  same  literary  merit?  Is  that  of  the  un- 
learned Peter,  an  humble  fisherman,  as  elegant  as  that 
of  the  learned  Paul  or  Luke?  Is  Peter's  writing  less  in- 
spired because  he  was  not  a  polished  scholar?  Pshaw  I 
shame  on  any  man  that  takes  such  position. 

Read  the  following:  "Companion  to  the  Revised 
Version  of  the  New  Testament,"  by  Alexander  Roberts, 
D.  D.,  page  i.  "The  number  of  various  readings  in 
the  New  Testament  has  been  differently  estimated  at 
different  times.  Nor  could  this  have  been  otherwise. 
Every   new  manuscript  which   is  discovered   increases 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM     REVIEWED.  24 1. 

the  amount,  and  every  more  accurate  examination  of 
already  known  manuscripts  tends  to  the  same  result. 
Hence,  while  the  varieties  of  reading  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment were  reckoned  at  about  thirty  thousand  in  the  last 
century,  they  are  generally  referred  to  as  amounting  to 
no  less  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  at  the 
present  day."  Mr.  Lamb  should  put  a  stop  to  such 
work,  for  his  ideas  of  grammar  and  rhetoric  would  not 
admit  of  the  differences  existing,  and  that  would  spoil 
their  inspiration. 

Jared's  barges  do  not  escape  Mr.  Lamb's  scrutiny, 
with  their  ''hole  in  the  bottom,  and  hole  in  the  top." 
Ridicule  of  that  feature  of  their  construction  has  been  ex- 
ploded a  hundred  tknes;  it  being  shown  that  vessels 
are  now  so  constructed.  See  citations  from  Philadel- 
phia Record,  December  13,  1891,  and  Globe  Democrat, 
February  3,  1889,  in  chapter  3  of  Book  Unsealed,  or 
visit  any  prominent  life-saving  station.  Mr.  Lamb, 
evidently  for  the  want  of  something  better,  gives  us 
alternately  his  ignorance  and   pusillanimity. 

On  pages  209,  210,  211,  three  pages,  he  gives 
fifty-two  quotations  from  the  Book  of  Mormon,  but 
does  not  cite  a  page  from  where  taken.  Then  triumph- 
antly asserts  "No  advance  upon  the  Bible  whatever." 
Why  did  he  not  give  the  pages  from  where  taken  so  the 
impartial  reader  could  examine  for  himself?  Simply 
because  his  misrepresentation  would  thereby  be  laid 
bare. 

On  pages  208,  209,  he  says:  ''The  Book  of  Mor- 
mon has  nothing  whatever  upon  the  subject  of  'Laying 
on  of  hands,'  'Christ's  second  coming,' his  'Millennial 
reign,'  the  subject  of  'marriage,'  except  the  prohibition 
of  polygamy   already   noticed,    'tithing,'  the    'Sabbath' 


242.  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM     REVIEWED. 

and  'baptism  for  the  dead.'  Have  we  a  Mormon 
reader  who  can  believe  that  any  book  could  contain  the 
'Fullness  of  the  Gospel'  without  a  word  upon  either  of 
the  above  subjects?  These  are  all  very  important  sub- 
jects; with  the  Latter  Day  Saints  they  are  fundamental, 
and  yet  here  this  Golden  Bible  is  entirely  silent." 
To  show  how  UTTERLY  FALSE  the  preceding  is,  a  few 
of  many  citations  are  given. 

Book  of  Mormon,  Alma  4:  i,  says:  "And  now  it 
came  to  pass  that  after  Alma  had  made  an  end  of  speak- 
ing unto  the  people  of  the  church,  which  was  estab- 
lished in  the  city  of  Zarehemla,  he  ordained  priests  and 
elders,  by  laying  on  his  hands  according  to  the  order 
of  God,  to  preside  and  watch  over  the  church." 
Moroni  2:1:  "Ye  shall  have  power  that  on  whom  ye 
shall  lay  your  hands,  ye  shall  give  the  Holy  Ghost;  and 
in  my  name  ye  shall  give  it."  Also  Moroni  3:1.  On 
millennium,  see  Nephi  10:  i;  Ether  6:  i,  and  Nephi  9:9. 
On  tithing,  see  Alma  10:  i;  Jacob  2:5;  Mosiah  9:  9, 
and  Nephi  11:  3-7.  On  Sabbath,  see  Jarom  1:  3; 
Mosiah  9:  9;  7:  21.  Mr.  Lamb  could  not  have  written 
a  more  glaring  falsehood. 

On  page  219,  Mr.  Lamb  treats  of  modern  words 
used  in  Book  of  Mormon,  and  because  it  contains  such, 
concludes  it  is  a  modern  production.  If  some  of 
Adam's  writing  should  be  found  and  translated  into  our 
language  it  would  contain  modern  words  and  therefore 
be  untrue  according  to  Mr.  Lamb's  wonderful  logic! 
The  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  various  readings 
cited  by  Mr.  Roberts,  of  the  New  Testament,  evident- 
ly have  several  modern  words!  What  translated 
work  would  not,  Mr.  Lamb? 

On  page  235,  Mr.  Lamb  tells  us  Harvey  discovered 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM     REVIEWED.  243. 

the  ''circulation  of  the  blood  about  the  year  1619  A. 
D.,  and  the  fact  that  the  skin  has  pores  could  not  have 
been  known  *  *  until  after  the  invention  of  the  micro- 
scope." Wonderful  logic,  Mr.  Lamb!  Was  any  body 
permitted  to  sweat  before  the  invention  of  the  micro- 
scope? We  suppose  Mr.  Lamb  would  say  no.  And 
therefore  Jesus  never  "sweat  as  it  were  great  drops  of 
blood." — Bible.  The  foregoing  is  Mr.  -Lamb's  hard 
hit  at  the  Book  of  Mormon,  stating  with  respect  to  Jesus, 
* 'blood  cometh  from  every  pore."  It  is  a  fair  sample 
of  both  the  man  and  his  book  as  to  merit.  In  his  ninth 
chapter  "American  Antiquities  versus  the  Book  of 
Mormon," he  says:  "The  Mound  Builders  of  the  Ohio 
and  the  Mississippi  valleys  do  not  represent  the  oldest, 
but  the  youngest,  by  far  the  younger  of  the  two  civili- 
zations already  mentioned."  Mr.  Lamb  has  forgotten 
again  that  he  denied  "civilization,  christian  or  other- 
wise," to  have  an  "existence  either  upon  North  or 
South  America."  But  why  did  he  not  give  book  and 
page  where  he  found  what  he  states  about  Mound- 
Builders. 

Bancroft,  Short,  Baldwin  and  many  others,  in 
fact  nearly  all  writers  on  American  antiquity  accord  to 
the  Mound  Builders,  the  earlier  settlement.  But  then, 
Mr.  Lamb  "examined  all  the  evidences  on  both  sides." 
To  misrepresent  facts  in  a  collossal  manner  seems  to 
be  his  ambition. 

On  page  257,  Mr.  Lamb  begins  to  annihilate 
"Smith's  reformed  Egyptian,"  and  on  page  260,  says: 
"Unfortunately  for  the  claims  of  the  Book  of  Mormon, 
we  are  able  to  learn  precisely  what  kind  of  characters 
were  used  in  Central  America  by  its  ancient  inhabitants, 
*  *  in  Copan  and   Palenque   are  found  in   abundance 


244-  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM     REVIEWED. 

the  strange  hieroglyphics,  the  written  language  of  the 
people/' 

Consider  this:  ''Egyptian  writing  is  of  three 
DISTINCT  kinds,  which  are  known  respectively  by  the 
names  of  Hieroglyphic,  Hieratic  and  Demotic  or  En- 
chorial. The  hieroglyphic  is  that  of  almost  all  monu- 
ments, and  is  also  occasionally  found  in  manuscripts. 
The  hieratic  and  demotic  occur  with  extreme  rarity 
upon  monuments,  but  are  employed  far  more  commonly 
than  the  hieroglyphic  in  the  papyrus  rolls  or  books  of 
the  Egyptians." — Rawlinson's  Egypt,  vol.  i,  p.   120. 

In  the  Book  of  Mormon  reformed  Egyptian  was 
used. 

Consider  this:  "We  find  three  species  of  hiero- 
glyphics COMMON  to  Mexico  and  Egypt." — Delafield's 
American  Antiquities,  p.  46. 

The  reader  is  also  referred  to  Atlantis,  page  219, 
where  two  distinct  and  then  other  forms  of  Maya  alpha- 
betic characters  are  given. 

Mr.  Lamb  is  down  and  out  again,  while  Smith's 
claim  remains  undimmed. 

Mr.  Lamb,  page  300,  says:  "Facts  are  stubborn 
things,  and  the  simple  testimony  of  past  history  already 
presented,  buries  the  fabrications  of  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon beyond  the  possibility  of  resurrection."  Then  he 
proceeds  to  deny  the  existence  and  use  of  iron  and 
steel  in  ancient  times  on  this  continent.  See  chapter 
10,  Book  Unsealed.  Mr.  Lamb  devotes  pages  306  and 
307  to  a  denial  of  horses,  cattle,  sheep  and  goats  as 
having  existed  in  America  anciently.  The  reader  is 
referred  to  chapter  6,  Book  Unsealed. 

Extract  from  a  letter  of  Augustus  Le  Plongeon,  cor- 
responding with  S.  F.  Walker,  of  Lamoni,  Iowa: 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED.  245. 

*^204  Washington  St.,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  i,  8,  '89, 
*'S.  F.  Walker  Esq., 

/'Dear  Sir: — Your  favor  of  December  28th,  came 
to  hand  three  days  ago.  *  *  This  calls  to  my  mind  the 
visit  of  a  certain  Rev.  Mr.  Lamb,  who  introduced  him- 
self to  me  by  stating  that  he  resided  at  Salt  Lake  City, 
and  was  there  combating  the  Mormon  doctrine  and 
showing  that  their  pretended  revelations  were  all  hum- 
bug. He  presented  me  with  a  book  published  by  him 
in  which  he  pretended  to  show  many  absurdities  con- 
tained in  the  Book  of  Mormon.  He  finished  by  telling 
me  that  he  had  called  upon  me  in  order  to  obtain  my 
opinion  on  what  is  said  in  the  book  relatively  to  the 
ANIMALS  such  as  the  horse,  the  pig,  the  cattle  and 
sheep  that  lived  anciently  on  the  Western  Continent, 
which  he  contended  proves  that  the  whole  book  is  an 
absurd  fabrication;  and  hoped  that  I  would  help  him 
with  my  knowledge  in  showing  it  to  be  such.  The  man 
evidently  either  had  been  misinformed  concerning  me, 
or  had  not  taken  the  trouble  to  enquire.  When  he 
ceased  speaking,  I  asked  him  if  he  was  a  Christian,  to 
which  he  emphatically  answered,  'Yes!'  and  I  as  em- 
phatically replied  no!  because  he  did  not  follow  the 
doctrine  of  Jesus — 'do  not  do  to  others  what  you  do 
not  wish  others  to  do  to  you.'  I  informed  him  that  I 
did  not  care  a  straw  if  the  Book  of  Mormon  was  a  rev- 
elation or  a  fabrication.  That  I  considered  every  man 
had  an  absolute  right  to  worship  Deity  as 'best  he 
thought.  That  on  the  other  hand  I  could  not  join  him 
in  disproving  the  Book  of  Mormon  in  the  part  in 
which  the  animals  mentioned  are  said  to  have  lived  on 
the  American  Continent,  because  I  was  not  in  the  habit 
of  making  a  fool  of  myself  if  I  could  help  it.       Then  I 


246.  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMOXrsM    REVIEWEj>, 

informed  him  that  seventeen  species  of  fossil  horses 
had  been  discovered  in  America,  that  the  buffaloes 
were  cattle,  that,  the  mountain  sheep  still  lived  in  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  and  that  peccaries  or  wild  pigs 
roamed  yet  in  large  numbers  in  the  forests  of  Central 
America  After  that  I  gave  him  a  piece  of  my'  mind 
dnd  bowed  him  out  of  the  house.  *  * 
''[Signed.]  Augustus  Le  Plongeon,  M.  D." 

The  reader  will  now  please  refer  back  to  opening 
page  of  this  examination  of  the  Golden  Bible  and  see 
how  Lamb  uses  Le  Plongeon's  name  as  an  authority;, 
after  he  had  set  down  squarely  on  him.  Lamb  had  out 
a  previous  smaller  work,  a  copy  of  which  he  evidently 
handed  Le  Plongeon. 

Any  one  who  is  conversant  with  one  or  more  works 
on  American  antiquity  will  readily  notice  that  the  very 
few  quotations  Lamb  gives  from  such  works  are  abund- 
antly offset,  in  the  same  works  by  vastly  more  testimony 
to  the  reverse  in  most  instances.  Those  who  are  not 
students  of  such  works,  will  find  an  abundance  of  evi- 
dence in  the  Book  Unsealed.  Almost  all  writers  on  an- 
tiquity give  the  varied  views  of  others  as  well  as  their  own, 
hence  the  different  evidences,  pro  and  con.  The  great 
preponderance  of  which  supports  the  Book  of  Mormon. 

Mr.  Lamb  solemnly  and  benevolently  closes  the 
preface  to  his  work  in  a  postscript  thus:  "It  may  be 
proper  to  state  in  this  connection,  that  this  work  has 
been  wholly  a  work  of  love,  a  benevolent  and  not  a 
mercenary  enterprise.  The  author  has  given  a  yjsar 
without  salary  or  compensation,  to  the  work,  and  all 
contributions  made,  aside  from  the  bare  support  of  his 
family,  will  be  sacredly  used  in  distributing  copies  of 
the  book  among  the  Mormons.''     Whoever  saw  so  much 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM     REVIEWED.  247. 

falsifying  just  for  ''LOVE!"  How  could  he  expect 
Mormons  or  other  persons  to  believe  such  a  mess  of 
stuff.  Is  it  not  strangely  significant  that  all  who  make 
such  herculean  efforts  to  down  the  Book  of  Mormon 
enshroud  themselves  in  a  mass  of  falsehood? 

No  change  in  Book  of  Mormon.  Mr.  Lamb  says 
on  page  ii6:  "I  have  seen  two  copies  of  the  first 
edition  of  the  book,  published  in  Palmyra,  New  York, 
in  1830,  and  a  brief  comparison  with  the  latest  edition, 
will  satisfy  any  reasonable  person  that  the  church  has 
never  ventured  to  change  a  sentence  except  the  title  page 
as  already  mentioned." 


•a  glance  at  E.   a.   ALLEN'S    ''PREHISTORIC 
WORLD,   OR  VANISHED  RACES." 

ISSUED    BY     CINCINNATI     CENTRAL    PUBLISHING 
HOUSE,      1885. 

[This  work  is  not  directed  against  Mormouism  special!}',  but 
is  put  under  examicjation  and  criticism,  as  the  twelfth  work 
against  Mormonism  because  of  some  of  the  statements  found  in  it 
which  are  at  variance  with  the  testimony  of  the  Book  of  Mormon 
and  with  demonstrated  facts.  On  the  title  page  we  announce 
"Kleven  Works  Against  Mormonism  Reviewed,"  but  have  since 
deci<led  to  add  this  and  make  twelve.] 

This  work  contains  eight  hundred  and  twenty 
l5tges,  the  most  of  which  is  devoted  to  prehistoric  man 
of  the  New  Continent. 

On  the  title  page  occurs:  "Each  of  the  following 
well  known  scholars  reviewed  one  or  more  chapters, 
and  made  valuable  suggestions."  Then  follows  these 
distinguished  names:  C.  C.  Abbott,  M.  D.,  author  of 
"Primitive  Industry;"  Prof.  F.  W.  Putnam,  Curator  of 
Peabody  Museum  of  Archaeology  and  Ethnology,  Har- 
vard University;  A.  F.  Bandelier,  explorer  for  Archae- 
ological  Institute  of  America,  author  of  "Archaeologi- 


24^.  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM     REVIEWKD. 

cal  Tour  in  Mexico;"  Prof.  Charles  Rau,  Curator  of 
Archaeological  department  of  Smithsonian  Institution; 
Alexander  Winchell,  L.  L.  D.,  Professor  of  Geology 
and  Paleontology,  University  of  M  ichigan;  Cyrus 
Thomas,  Ph.  D.,  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology;  G.  F. 
Wright,  of  the  United  States  Geological  Survey,  Profes- 
sor in  Theological  Seminary,  Oberlin,  Ohio. 

Thus  the  book  is  given  force.  On  pages  325,  ^;^i 
and  377,  the  Mound  Builders  are  declared  to  have  been 
destitute  of  the  use  of  metals  for  tools,  also  of  domestic 
animals.  The  chapter  on  Mound  Builders  was  re- 
viewed by  Prof.  Putnam.  On  page  631,  metalic  tools 
are  again  denied,  and  on  pages  640  and  675,  both  ixie- 
talic  tools  and  domestic  animals  are  still  denied.  The% 
chapter  on  Maya  Tribes  is  not  mentioned  as  reviewed 
by  any  one,  so  it  will  be  seen  that  while  Prof.  Putnam 
is  committed  by  statements  on  the  three  pages  cited 
from  the  chapter  on  Mound  Builders,  no  one  but  Mr. 
Allen  is  responsible  for  the  other  three  in  the  chapter 
pertaining  to  the  Mayas. 

That  Prof.  Putnam  should  have  so  committed  him- 
self seems  queer,  as  he  must  be  a  man  of  extensive 
reading.  And  that  Mr.  Allen,  quoting  Dana  and  Win- 
chell  as  much  as  he  does,  is  not  better  informed  ^ 
the  existence  of  domestic  animals,  to  say  nothing  of 
what  else  he  should  have  found  in  his  reputed  wide 
research,  is  equally  strange;  and  more  strange  still  that 
his  own  reports  of  works  achieved  by  the  ancient 
Americans,  does  not  impel  him  to  conclude  that  metalic 
tools  of  variety  and  high  order,  as  well  as  domestic 
animals  must  have  been  had. 

Mr.  Allen's  work  being  recently  issued  and  having 
the  support  of  these  eminent  men,  will  doubtless  play  a 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM     REVIEWED  249. 

part  yet  in  discussion,  ^s  I  do  not  remember  that  it 
has  been  quoted  from,  for  the  benefit  of  those  to  whose 
convenience  it  may  be,  I  give  a  few  extracts. 

Of  fossil  remains  of  man,  page  308  says:  *'0n 
our  Western  Continent  we  have  the  mysterious  remains 
in  the  gold-bearing  gravels  of  the  Pacific  coast,  the  sig- 
nificance of  which  is  yet  in  dispute.  We  have  the 
Paleolithic  Age  of  Europe,  represented  by  the  remains 
found  in  the  gravels  of  the  Delaware  at  Trenton,  New 
Jersey.  When  deposited  there,  and  by  what  people 
used,  is,  perhaps,  still  enshrouded  in  doubt. 

Page  310:  ''We  must  not  forget  that  these  are  the 
antiquities  of  our  own  country,  that  the  broken  archaeo- 
logical fragments  we  pick  up,  will,  when  put  together, 
give  us  a  knowledge  of  tribes  that  lived  here  when  civ- 
ilization was  struggling  into  being  in  the  east.  *  *  In  a 
general  way  we  have  regarded  the  Indians  as  a  late 
arrival  from  Asia,  and  cared  but  little  for  their  early 
history.  It  is  only  recently  that  we  have  become  con- 
vinced of  an  extended  past  in  the  history  of  this  coun- 
try, and  it  is  only  of  late  that  able  writers  have  brought 
to  our  attention  the  wonders  of  an  ancient  culture,  and 
shown  us  the  footprints  of  a  vanished  people." 

Page  311;  "Indeed,  to  judge  from  the  difference 
of  the  remains,  they  must  have  been  the  work  of  differ- 
ent people  or  tribes,  who  were  doubtless  possessed  of 
different  degrees  of  culture." 

Page  324  gives  a  cut  of  the  Grave  Creek  Mound, 
twelve  miles  b^low  Wheeling  in  West  Virginia.  A 
description  follows,  then,  on  page  325,  we  read:  "A 
moment's  thought  will  show  us  what  a  great  work  such 
a  mound  must  have  been  for  a  people  destitute  of  me- 
talic  tools  and  domestic  animals." 


250.  WORKS    AGAINST    xMORMONiSM     RP:V1EWED. 

Page  330  presents  a  cut  of  Cahokia  Mound  which 
is  opposite  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri.  The  description 
ends  with:  "The  areas  of  all  the  platforms  are  not  far 
from  six  acres.  We  require  to  dwell  on  these  facts  a 
moment  before  we  realize  what  a  stupendous  piece  of 
work  this  is.  The  base  is  larger  than  that  of  the  Great 
Pyramid,  [Egypt. — R.  E.]  and  we  must  not  lose  sight 
of  the  fact  that  the  earth  for  its  construction  was 
scraped  up  and  brought  thither  without  the  aid  of 
metallic  tools  or  beasts  of  burden,  and  yet  the  earth 
was  obtained  somewhere  and  piled  up  over  an  area  of 
fifteen  acres  in  one  place  to  a  height  of  one  hundred 
feet,  and  even  the  lowest  platform  is  fifty  feet  above 
the  plain.'' 

Page  376  gives  a  cut  of  Fort  Ancient,  forty  miles 
east  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  The  description  given  closes 
thus  on  page  377:  "The  total  length  of  the  embank- 
ment is  about  five  miles,  the  area  enclosed  about  one 
hundred  acres.  For  most  of  this  distance  the  grading 
of  the  walls  resembles  the  heavy  grading  of  a  railroad 
track.  Only  one  who  has  personally  examined  the 
walls,  can  realize  the  amount  of  labor  they  represent 
for  a  people  destitute  of  metallic  tools,  beasts  of  bur 
den,  and  other  facilities  to  construct  it." 

Page  332,  dealing  with  the  magnitude  of  Cahokia 
Mound  says:  "If  the  result  of  religious  zeal,  we  may 
be  sure  that  a  religion  which  exacted  from  its  votaries 
the  erection  of  such  a  stupendous  piece  of  work  was 
one  of  great  power. 

On  page  361,  Mr.  Allen  quotes  Mr.  Squier:  "We 
have  reason  to  believe  that  the  religious  system  of  the 
Mound  Builders,  like  that  of  the  Aztecs,  exercised 
among  them  a  great,  if  not  a  controlling,  influence." 


WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM     REVIEWED.  25  I. 

The  foregoing  extracts  are  from  chapter  lo,  "The 
Mound  Builders,"  and  on  page  413,  the  last  of  the 
chapter,  occurs:  "In  fact  there  is  no  good  reason  for 
separating  them  from  the   Indian  race  as  a  whole." 

This  conclusion  is  no  doubt,  as  well  founded  as, 
that  there  were  no  domestic  animals  or  meta'lic  tools 
had  among  them. 

We  now  present  extracts  from  chapter  14 — "The 
Maya  Tribes." 

Page  568  presents  a  cut  of  the  ruins  of  Copan,  in 
the  State  of  Honduras,  Central  America,  and  on  page 
569  occurs:  "Though  Mr.  Stephens  warns  us  that  this 
terrace  was  not  as  large  as  the  base  of  the  Pyramid  of 
Ghizeh,  still  it  must  have  required  an  immense  amount 
of  work,  since  careful  computations  show  that  over 
twenty-six  million  cubic  feet  of  stone  were  used  in  its 
construction.  This  stone  was  brought  from  the  quar- 
ries two  miles  away.  We  must  not  forget  that  this 
work  was  performed  by  a  people  destitute  of  metallic 
tools."     Just  because,  forsooth,  Mr.  Allen  thought  sol 

Of  fourteen  statues,  a  cut  of  one  being  given  on 
page  571,  page  570  says:  "The  places  where  these 
statues  are  found  is  seen  to  the  right  of  the  main  body 
of  ruins.  It  will  be  seen  that  only  one  is  within  the 
terrace  area  of  the  temple.  Three  others  are  situated 
near  it,  but  the  majority  are  near  the  southern  end  of 
the  enclosure.  We  are  not  given  the  dimensions  of  all, 
but  the  smallest  one  given  is  eleven  feet,  eight  inches 
high,  by  three  feet,  four  inches  width  and  depth;  the 
largest,  thirteen  feet  high,  four  feet  wide,  and  three 
feet  deep.  No  inconsiderable  part  of  the  labor  on  the 
statues  must  have  been  that  of  quarrying  the  large 
blocks   of  stone  out  of  which   they   were  carved,    and 


252.  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM     REVIKWED. 

transporting  them  to  the  place  where  found.  They 
came  from  the  same  quarry  as  the  other  stones  used  in 
building,  and  so  were  transported  a  distance  of  about 
two  miles." 

Mr.  Allen  would  have  us  believe  stone  columns 
could  be  quarried  and  carved  in  the  fine  lines  he  illus- 
trates in  his  cuts,  and  describes  elaborately,  with  stone 
MAULS,  etc. 

Of  a  palace  at  the  city  of  Utatlan,  Guatemala,  page 
582  says:  ''Mr.  Stephens  describes  alarge  ruin  which  is 
called  The  Palace.  It  is  said,  in  round  numbers  to 
have  been  eleven  hundred  by  twenty-two  hundred  feet. 
As  this  area  is  more  than  fifty-five  acres  in  extent,  we 
can  see  it  was  not  a  palace  in  our  sense  of  the  word. 
The  stones  of  which  it  was  composed  have  been  largely 
removed  to  build  the  modern  town  of  Santa  Cruz." 

Pages  630  and  631  present  three  cuts  of  most  intri- 
cate and  elaborate  carving,  of  a  magnificent  building  at 
Uxmal  Yucatan,  and  then  says:  ''We  must  reflect  that 
its  builders  were  not  possessed  of  metalic  tools.  It 
extends  entirely  around  the  building,  though  the  end 
and  rear  walls  are  not  as  elaborately  decorated  as  the 
front.  A  little  calculation  shows  that  it  contains  over 
ten  thousand  square  feet  of  carved  stone."  What 
finger-nails  those  fellows  must  have  had! 

Page  640,  reviewing  the  ruins  of  Uxmal  in  a  gen- 
eral way,  after  the  splendid  cuts  and  explanation  of 
intricate  carving,  says:  "When  we  reflect  on  the 
patient  labor  that  must  have  been  expended  on  this 
pyramid  and  these  buildings,  we  are  filled  with  admira-- 
tion  for  their  perseverance  and  ingenuity.  They  had 
neither  domestic  animals  or  metalic  tools.  The  build- 
ings were  massively  built  and  richly   ornamented.     The 


W'ORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM     REVIEWED,  253. 

sculptured    portion    covers  over  twenty-four  thousand 
square  feet." 

Page  644  says:  -'We  want  to  repeat  that  Yucatan, 
even  to  this  day,  is  far  from  being  thoroughly  explored 
Almost  our  only  source  of  information  is  the  writings 
of  Mr.  Stephens.  But  he  only  describes  a  few  places. 
In  a  trip  of  thirty-nine  miles  he  took  in  a  westerly  di- 
rection from  Uxmal  he  saw  no  less  than  seven  different 
groups  of  ruins.  *  *  As  to  the  question  of  use  to  which 
these  buildings  were  applied,  we  must  either  suppose 
they  had  an  immense  number  of  temples  and  palaces — 
one  or  the  other  every  few  miles — or  else  they  were  the 
residences  of  the  people  themselves.  And,  though  it 
may  seem  very  strange  that  an  imperfectly  developed 
people  should  ornament  so  profusely  and  delicately 
their  ordinary  places  of  abode,  yet  it  is  difficult  to 
understanti  why  they  should  rear  such  an  abundance  of 
temples  and  palaces." 

Page  675,  speaking  of  Mexico  and  Central  America, 
says:  "••We  must  remember  that  throughout  the  entire 
territory  we  are  considering  the  tribes  had  no  domestic 
animals,  their  agriculture  was  in  a  rude  state,  and  they 
were  practically  destitute  of  metals." 

Pages  810  and  8ii  present  cuts  of  large  and  mag- 
nificent stone  structures  and  says:  "Round  holes  were 
drilled  in  the  bottom  and  top  of  each  stone.  Tl\ere  is 
reason  to  suppose  that  bronze  pins  fitted  into  these 
holes."  But,  Mr.  Allen,  bronze  is  a  combination  of 
metals  and  they  were  destitute  of  them! 

Page  815  says  of  ruins  at  Cuzco,  Peru:  "Some  of 
the  stones  must  weigh  several  tons,  and  they  are  fitted 
together  with  marvelous  precision,  one  stone  having  as 
many  as  twelve  angles." 


254-  WORKS    AGAINST    MORMONISM    REVIEWED. 

Since  writing  the  above,  I  have  found  the  follow- 
ing in  the  May  number  of  "The  Archaeologist"  of  1894^ 
published  at  Waterloo,  Indiana,  the  editor  of  which  is 
Warren  K.  Moorehead,  whose  location  is  Orton  Hall, 
State  University,  Columbus,  Ohio,  and  who  had  an 
exhibit  at  the  World's  Fair:  Quoting  from  Prof.  Put- 
nam on  page  131:  "It  is  fully  time  that  we  acknowl- 
edge that  our  old  peoplf^s,  particularly  the  people  who 
made  the  great  earth  works  in  the  Ohio  Valley,  were 
pretty  far  advanced  in  many  of  the  arts,  and  certainly 
had  reached  a  high  plane  of  achievement  in  the  work- 
ing of  native  copper,  native  silver,  native  (meteoric) 
iron,  and  occasionally  gold,  all  by  hammering,  pressure, 
rubbing  and  cutting." 

Right  glad  are  we  to  record  Prof.  Putnam  as  a  wit- 
ness that  iron  was  had  and  worked  by  prehistoric  peo 
pie  of  the  Western  Continent.  Mr.  Allen's  only  wit- 
ness who  had  passed  upon  what  Allen  had  written  is 
thus  found  on  the  other  side.  And  in  Prof.  Putnam's 
language  we  may  conclude,  "It  is  fully  time  that  we 
acknowledge  *  *  iron."  The  character  of  works 
abounding  impel  the  intelligent  reasonable  mind  to  this 
conclusion.  And  as  for  the  domestic  animals  having 
existed,  their  remains  are  found  in  such  quantity  and 
variety  that  the  existence  of  the  moon  may  as  well  be 
denied. 


BR.^BEN'S  MISTAKES. 


TSt.  States  on  page  34  of  Braden  and  Kelley  Debate 
that  the  Book  of  Mormon  speaks  of  "ore  plates,"  when 
the  language  of  the  book  is  "I  did  make  plates  of  ore." 

2d.  On  page  43  he  says  he  proved  certain  things 
by  sixteen  witnesses  who  from  reading  it,  (Spaulding 
Romance),  and  hearing  him  read  it,  became  more  or 
less  familiar  with  its  contents;  when  he  had  produced 
testimony  from  only  six  who  testify  to  having  read  or 
hearing  it  read. 

3d.  On  page  43  he  says  he  proved  by  these  sixteen 
witnesses  that  Solomon  Spaulding,  "between  the  years 
1809  and  [816,"  "spent  much  of  his  time  in  preparing 
manuscripts/'  &c.  He  had  produced  testimony  from 
NONE  giving  these  dates. 

4th.  He  had  produced  testimony  from  only  one 
who  spoke  of  manuscripts  in  the  plural. 

5th.  On  page  43  he  claims  the  sixteen  give  "an 
outline  of  the  historic  portion  of  the  Nephite  part  of 
the  Book  of  Mormon."  He  had  produced  testimony 
from  only  nine  who  relate  any  incident  related  by  the 
Book  of  Mocmon. 

6th.  On  page  43  he  claims  his  sixteen  witnesses 
give  names  "of  the  principal  characters."  Only  seven 
pretend  to  give  names. 


256.  BRADEN^S    MISTAKES. 

ytb.  Claims  on  page  43.  that  the  sixteen  give  the 
•'starting  point  of  the  history,"  when  only  six  of  them 
mention  it, 

8th.  On  page  43,  '-They  (the  sixteen)  all  declare 
tliere  was  no  religious  matter  in  his  manuscript."  In 
their  testimony  as  presented  by  Hraden  but  few  had 
said  so. 

9th.  He  says  on  page  43,  "Oliver  Smith  testifies 
that  Spaulding  told  him,  just  before  going  to  Pittsburg, 
that  he  would  prepare  the  manuscript  for  press,"  &c. 
This  is  not  in  Oliver  Smith's  testimony  as  produced  by 
Braden.      See  p.  35  of  Debate. 

loth.  On  page  43  he  says  that  J.  N.  Miller  testi- 
fies: "Spaulding  told  him  that  he  landed  the  people 
at  the  Isthmus  of  Darien  which  he  called  Zarahemla." 
This  is  not  in  J.  N.  Miller's  testimony,  found  on  page  35. 

nth.  On  page  52  he  says:  "The  Book  of  Mor- 
mon declares  in  several  places  the  Nephites  were 
Manassehites,"  which  is  not  true. 

i2th.  On  page  62  he  represents  Mr.  Gilbert  as 
saying  the  manuscript  "abounded  in  mis-spelled  words," 
when  Gilbert  says:  "The  spelling  was  good.'*  See 
p.  382. 

13th.  On  page  64  he  claims  Spaulding  was  guilty 
of  "carricaturing  the  Bible;"  but  on  page  67  he  says: 
"Nearly  all  of  our  witnesses  are  careful  to  state  that 
the  religious  portion  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  was  not 
in  the  Manuscript  Found." 

14th.  On  page  65  he  claims  Spaulding  was  "the 
very  man  that  would  attract  company,  and  of  the 
highest  character  and  intelligence;"  yet  on  page  64  he 
makes  him  out  a  skeptic,  a  liar,  and  his  motives  "very 
questionable." 


braden's  mistakes.  257. 

15th.  On  page  66  he  claims  Mrs.  Solomon  Spauld- 
ing,  Miss  Mariha  Spaulding,  John  Spaulding,  Mrs.  John 
Spaulding,  Lake,  J.  N.  Miller,  Smith,  Wright,  Howard, 
Cunningham,  Jas.  Miller,  McKee,  Dodd  and  Sidney 
Rigdon,  testify  to  Spaulding's  Romance  being  a  history 
of  the  first  settlers  of  America;  when  he  had  produced 
no  testimony  to  this  effect  from  Miss  Spaulding,  Jas. 
Miller,  McKee,  Dodd,  or  Rigdon 

1 6th.  On  page  66  quotes  Miss  Martha  Spaulding, 
Mrs.  J.  Spaulding,  Smith,  Cunningham  and  Jackson,  to 
prove  the  leaders'  names  as  represented  by  Spaulding, 
were  Nephi  and  Lehi,  which  is  false,  so  far  as  Miss 
Spaulding,  Qunningham  and  Jackson  are  concerned. 

ryth.  On  page  66  he  says:  "The  end  of  their 
wars,  in  two  instances,  was  the  total  annihilation  in 
battle,  of  all  but  one,"  for  which  he  quotes  Jackson. 
Jackson  does  not  say  so.      See  p.  42. 

i8th.  On  page  66  he  quotes  J.  Spaulding,  Mrs  J. 
Spaulding,  Miller  and  Smith  as  authority  for  the 
"Romance,"  giving  an  "account  of  the  civilization, 
arts,  sciences,  laws  and  customs  of  the  aborigines  of 
America."  Mrs.  J.  Spaulding  nor  Miller  speak  of  this 
point. 

19th.  On  page  66^  as  authority  that  the  Romance 
was  ''written  in  Scriptural  Style,"  he  quotes  "Rigdon, 
Winter,  Spaulding,  Mrs.  S.  Spaulding,  Mrs,  J.  Spauld 
ing,  Lake,  Jas.  Miller,  Smith,  Cunningham  and  Jack- 
son. By  examination  it  will  be  seen  he  had  produced 
no  evidence  upon  this  point  from  either  Rigdon,  Mrs. 
J.  Spaulding,  Lake,  Miller,  or  Smith. 

20th.  On  page  66,  as  authority  that  the  Romance 
contained  the  phrases,  "And  it  came  to  pass,"  "And 
now  it  came  to  pass,"  he  names  Mrs.  S.    Spaulding,  J. 


258.  BRAUEN's    iMISTAKES. 

Spaulding,  Mrs.  J.  Spaulding,  Lake,  Cunningham  and 
Jas.  Miller.  Consult  their  testimony  as  produced  by 
Braden,  and  you  will  find  this  false  so  far  as  Mrs.  S. 
Spaulding,  Mrs.  J.  Spaulding,  Cunningham  and  Miller 
are  concerned. 

2ist.  On  page  66  he  says:  "One  party  of  emi- 
grants landed  near  the  Isthmus  of  Darien,  which  they 
called  Zarahemla,  and  migrated  across  the  continent  in 
a  northeast  direction,"  and  quotes  J.  N.  Miller.  See 
Miller's  testimony  on  page  35. 

22d.  On  page  73  he  says:  "He  spent  five  years 
on  it,,'  (The  Romance),  but  on  page  43,  he  says  "seven 
years." 

23d.  On  page  73  he  says  that  Mrs.  Spaulding,  Miss 
Spaulding  and  Miller  ''declare  that  he  had  many  manu- 
scripts." He  produced  this  testimony  from  none  of  them. 

24th,  On  page  73  he  says:  "That  he  (Rigdon) 
had  it  (Spaulding  Romance)  in  1826,  and  declared  it 
would  be  a  great  thing  some  day,  to  his  neice  Mrs. 
D'cnlap."  Mrs.  Spaulding  does  not  say  he  had  the 
Spaulding  Romance.      See  p.  45. 

25th.  On  page  73  he  says:  "We  have  proved  that 
he  (Rigdon)  knew  of  the  publication  of  the  Book  of 
Mormon  long  before  it  appeared,  by  D.  Atwater,  A. 
Bently,  Alexander  Campbell,  Green  and  Dille."  This 
is  false,  especially  as  regards  Green  and  Dille.    See  p.  46. 

26th.  Read  what  he  says  he  proved  by  Campbell, 
Atwater  and  Bently,  as  found  on  pages  74  and  75,  and 
then  read  their  testimonies  as  found  on  page  45,  and 
the  reader  will  see  a  great  mistake  indeed. 

27th.  On  page  95  he  says  that  Mrs.  Davidson  said 
she  "only  gave  him  (Hurlbut)  an  order  to  examine  a 
trunk  hundreds  of  miles  away,  in  Hartwich,  New  York, 


BRADEN'S    MISTAKES. 


59- 


to  see  if  it  (the  manuscript)  was  in  the  trunk."  If 
the  reader  will  refer  to  Mrs.  Davidson's  testimony  he 
will  discover  this  to  be  a  false  statement. 

28th.  On  page  96,  in  regard  to  the  charge  that 
Hurlbut  sold  the  manuscript  to  the  Mormons,  he  says: 
"These  charges,  Hurlbut  never  met  but  laid  under 
them  until  his  death."  On  page  91,  in  a  letter  Hurlbut 
wrote  to  Mr.  Patterson  of  Pittsburg,  dated  August  19th, 
1879,  he  says:  "I  did  not  destroy  the  manuscript  nor 
dispose  of  it  to  Joe  Smith  or  to  any  other  person." 

29th.  Will  Mr.  Braden  tell  us  where  he  finds  his 
authority  for  saying  that  Joseph  Smith  claimed  to  have 
"examined  all  religious  parties?"     See  p.  98. 

30th.  Will  he  also  tell  us  why  he  says  Joseph 
Smith  claimed  to  "found  a  purer  system  than  the 
world  had  ever  seen?"     See  p.  98. 

31st.  On  page  107  he  garbles  the  testimony  of  the 
Three  Witnesses.      See  p.  5. 

32d.  On  page  108  he  states,  in  speaking  of  what 
the  Book  of  Mormon  teaches,  thatNephi  "makes  Laban 
drunk."     This  is  false.     See  Book  of  Mormon,  p.  8. 

33d.  On  page  109  he  says  Lehi  prophesied  "that 
these  plates  of  Laban  shall  go  forth  to  all  nations;"  but 
the  book  adds,  "who  were  of  his  seed."  See  Book  of 
Mormon,  p.   11. 

34th.  On  page  iii  he  represents  that  the  Book  of 
Mormon  claim* that  Nephi  and  his  company  left  only 
Laraan  and  Lemuel  and  their  families  when  departing 
into  the  wilderness,  which  is  absolutely  false.  See 
Book  of  Mormon,  p.  62. 

35th.  On  page  119  he  represents  Mrs.  Salisbury 
as  saying  the  plates  were  translated  "at  their  father's," 
which  she  does  not  say.      See  p.  100. 


26o.  '  bradkn's  mistakks. 

36th.  On  page  120  he  says:  King  Jacob  tells  us 
that  "a  hundredth  part  of  the  wars,  contentions  and 
exploits  of  the  Nephites  could  not  be  engrav-en  on  his 
plates."     A  quotation  not  to  be  found. 

37th.  On  page  120,  in  speaking  of  events  recorded 
on  page  118  of  Book  of  Mormon,  he  says:  "About 
forty  years  before  this,  six  women  left  Jerusalem," 
when,  according  to  the  book,  at  least  fifty-five  years 
had  passed.      See  Book  of  Mormon,  p.  112. 

38th.  The  number  of  women  as  stated  above  is 
wrong.  There  were  Lehi's  wife,  (see  page  4,)  Ishmael's 
wife  and  five  daughters,  (see  page  12,)  besides  Nephi 
speaks  of  his  sisters,  how  many  we  do  not  know.  See 
p.  64. 

39th.  Braden  adds,  "but  one  (of  these  women) 
was  then  married."  Doubtless  the  wives  of  Lehi  and 
Ishmael  were  both  married. 

40th.  On  page  120  he  garbles  a  quotation  from 
page  120  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  as  follows:  The 
book  says:  "It  began  to  put  forth  somewhat  a  little, 
young  and  tender  branches."  Braden  quotes  it:  "It 
began  to  put  forth  somewhat  a  tender  little  branches." 

(Note. — Nearly  every  passage  I  have  examined 
purporting  to  be  from  Book  of  Mormon  is  more  or  less 
garbled.      Space  will  not  allow  me  to  notice  all.) 

41st.  He  says  on  page  130:  "Moroni  takes  up 
Mormon's  work,  and  he  informs  us  th^t  masonry  shall 
be  prevalent  when  the  Book  of  Mormon  appears,"  when 
the  word  mason  or  masonry  does  not  appear  in  the 
book. 

42d.  On  page  132  he  says:  "Moroni  prophesies 
the  one  who  finds  these  plates  shall  show  them  to  three 
persons.        Joe   showed   them    to    eleven."       The    Ian- 


braden's  mistakes.  261. 

guage  of  the  book  is:  ''And  behold  ye  may  be  privi- 
leged that  ye  may  show  the  plates  unto  those  who  shall 
assist  to  bring  forth  this  work;  and  untp  three  shall 
they  be  shown  by  the  power  of  God." 

43d.  He  says  on  page  34:  "It  is  our  purpose  to 
prove  that  the  Book  of  Mormon  originated  with  Solo- 
mon Spaulding,"  but  on  page  139  he  calls  "Rigdon,  the 
author  of  the  book." 

44th.  On  page\i4i  he  says:  "Amulek  declares 
that  Nephi,  and  all  who  went  with  Lehi  were  Mannas- 
sehites,  and  not  Jews  at  all.  Amulek  only  says,  ''Lehi 
was^a  descendant  of  Mannasseh."  See  Book  of  Mor- 
mon, p.  231. 

45th.  On  page  141  he  says:  "On  page  375  we  are 
told  the  devil  led  Jared  and  his  people."  It  is  not 
there. 

46th.  On  page  148,  after  many  falsehoods  in  regard 
to  the  Jaredites,  he  says:  "Sidney  did  not  stop  and 
figure  that  story  out  when  he  wrote  it;"  but  on  page  43 
he  says:^    Spaulding  "added  the  Jaredite  emigration." 

47th.  On  page  150  he  claims  that  events  recorded 
on  page  136  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  transpired  two 
hundred  and  fifty  years  B.  C;  but  on  page  151  he  says 
this  page  relates  to  things  happening  four  hundred  years 
B.  C. 

48th.  On  page  151  in  trying  to  make  the  Book  of 
Mormon  to  agree  with  Shakespeare  he  misquotes  the 
former. 

49th.  On  page  159  he  says,  speaking  of  the  Book 
of  Mormon:  "It  had  not  a  mark  of  punctuation  in  it;" 
but  on  page  160  he  says:  "The  fabrications  of  the 
Book  of  Mormon  copied  *  *  the  punctuation  of  King 
James'  version." 


2(}2.  BRADEN's    mistakes. 

50th.  On  page  159  he  says  it  .vas  ''badly  spelled;'^ 
but  Gilbert  says,  (seep,  382),  "The  spelling  was  good." 

51st.  On  page  161  he  tries  to  make  Spaulding  out 
an  ignorant  man,  but  on  page  75  he  says,  "he  received 
the  degree  of  A.  M.  from  Dartmouth  College." 

52d.  On  page  161  he  says:  "It  was  like  Josh 
Billings'  spelling."  Gilbert  says:  "The  spelling  was 
good." 

53d.  On  page  161  he  says:  "We  have  proved  by 
historic  evidence  that  Rigdon  remodeled  Spaulding's 
manuscript;"  but  on  page  171  he  says:  "We  can  trace 
it  no  farther  back  than  Joe  Smith  in  1830." 

54th.  On  page  2i?i  he  tells  us  he  expects  to  prove 
the  Book  of  Mormon  had  its  origin  "about  seventy 
years  ago,"  (1814),  then  admits  his  failure  on  page  171 
by  saying:  "From  the  Tower  of  Babel  to  1830,  not  a 
human  being  knew  of  the  book,  or  knew  a  single  par- 
ticle of  its  pretended  history." 

55th.  On  page  173  he  says  a  certain  document  was 
signed  by  "Sidney  Rigdon  and  eighty-four  other  lead- 
ing Mormons,"  and  on  same  page  says,  "Rigdon  and 
eighty-three  other  leading  Mormons." 

56th.  On  page  173  he  accuses  O.  Cowdery  of  liv- 
ing in  adultery  at  Nauvoo,  when  he  did  not  reside  there 
at  all. 

57th.  On  page  180  he  says:  "The  eight  witnesses 
tell  us  that  the  leaves  Joe  had  translated  were  loose, 
separated  from  what  he  had  not  translated."  This  is 
false,  as  will  be  seen  by  reference  to  their  testimony 
found  on  page  5. 

58th.  On  page  180  he  tells  us  that  the  eight  wit- 
nesses testify  that  they  did  not  see  the  plates  which 
were  not  translated.     False  again.     See  p.  5. 


braden's  mistakes.  263. 

59th.  On  page  202  he  relates  what  a  *'Mr.  More- 
ton,  one  of  the  first  apostles,  told  his  daughter."  There 
was  no  man  of  that  name  among  the  first  apostles. 

60th.  On  page  206  he  falsely  states:  *'The  Jose- 
phites  publish,  and  use  as  their  standards,  the  works  of 
the  Pratts  and  other  Utah  Mormons." 

6ist.  On  page  206  he  misquotes  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon on  the  subject  of  polygamy. 

62d.  On  page  214  he  falsely  states  that  William 
Marks  was  once  the  editor  of  ''their  (the  Josephite) 
official  organ." 

63d.  On  same  page  he  makes  the  same  false  asser- 
tion in  regard  to  Zenas  H.  Gurley. 

64th.  On  page  216  he  claims  to  have  produced 
testimony  from  Rigdon  to  the  effect  ''that  Solomon 
Spaiilding  wrote  a  romance,"  which  can  not  be  found 
in  the  book. 

65th.  He  claims  on  page  218  to  have  proved  that 
Cowdery  "died  a  drunken  sot,  with  delirum  tremens." 
This  he  has  not  attempted  to  prove. 

66th.  He  almost  invariably  misquotes  the  Bible. 
I  will  ask  the  reader  to  read  the  two  passages  found  on 
page  222  as  samples  of  his  garbling. 

I  have  not  written  this  to  refute  the  position  taken 
by  Mr.  Braden;  this  was  neatly  and  thoroughly  done 
by  his  opponent.  But  as  Mr.  Braden  was  introduced 
as  a  witness  in  my  late  debate,  and  may  be  so  intro- 
duced again,  I  write  it  to  show  his  utter  unreliability. 
I  thought  first  to  speak  of  all  his  mistakes,  but  they 
multiplied  so  rapidly,  I  concluded  to  pass  by  misrepre- 
sentation of  other  books,  and  confine  myself  to  the 
book  under  consideration,  and  the  standard  of  evidencis. 
I    soon    found    however    that    this    would    have    to  be 


264.  braden's  mistakes. 

abridged.  Then  when  I  had  passed  through  one  prop- 
osition, noting  perhaps  half  of  his  mistakes,  I  concluded 
if  I  examined  the  other  two,  it  would  be  too  voluminous 
to  publish,  and  so  conclude.  Surely  here  is  enough  to 
accomplish  my  object.  Heman  C.  Smith. 


FOUR  PROMINENT   MEN,   VOUCHED   FOR  BY 
OTHERS.   TELL   WHAT  THEY  SAW. 


) 

WISE    REVERENDS    DIFFER JOSEPH    SMITH    A    VERY 

REMARKABLE    YOUTH. 

The  Christian  Cynosure  published  by  Ezra  A. 
Cook,  at  Chicago,  Illinois,  contained  in  its  issue  of 
December  20th,  1877,  an  article  entitled,  ''Joseph 
Smith  the  Mormon,"  by  the  Rev.  Samuel  D.  Green, 
who  says  of  Smith:  ''He  saw  money  deposited  by  an 
early  settler,  who  sat  down  by  this  river  and  deposited 
his  money  in  the  earth  just  where  the  miller  was  erect- 
ing his  abutments,  some  of  Smith's  believers  went  and 
dug  for  the  money  and  one  of  the  walls  fell.  The  dig- 
gers were  disappointed,  and  helped  rebuild  it.  This  is 
the  only  act  of  mischief  I  ever  heard  of  him,  and  of 
this  I  never  searched  the  truth,  it  was  a  report,  and 
whether  true  or  not,  I  have  no  knowledge. 

"There  was  living  in  Bethany,  a  Rev.  M.  Spauld- 
ing.  *  *  He  had  written  so-me  chronicles  on  the  ruins 
of  Central  America  and  some  Bible  truths  mixed  up 
together.  Some  early  history  of  the  character  of  the 
inhabitants,  connected  with  bigamy,  etc.  Joe  Smith 
and  Cochran  got  some  knowledge  and  borrowed  it,  and 
from  the  help  of  Spaulding's  manuscript  they  made  the 
Mormon  Bible.  Rev.  Mr.  Spaulding  called  and  sent 
for  it  a  great  many  times,  and  his  wife  came  for  it,  but 


266.  CONTRADICTORY    STATEMENTS. 

Smith  would  not  let  them  have  it.  Smith  told  Spauld- 
ing,  and  I  heard  him,  that  he  had  made  a  Mormon 
Bible  of  it,  and  the  Lord  had  taken  it  into  the  wilder- 
ness. And  he,  Joe  Smith,  prophesied  where  it  was 
deposited  in  Palmyra  woods  about  twelve  miles  east  of 
Rochester,  New  York.  James  Harris  was  appointed 
to  go  and  get  it.  He  went  and  pretended  he  found  it 
beside  a  log  just  where  Smith  said  it  was.  This  is  the 
true  history  of  Joe  Smith  and  the  beginning  of  Mor- 
monism,  and  the  people  who  settled  at  Salt  Lake. 
After  Mr.  Spaulding  died,  his  wife  came  east  to  Mun- 
son,  Massachusetts,  while  I  lived  there,  to  visit  her 
friends  or  relatives,  Dr.  McKingsbury's  family,  my  near 
neighbor." 

SUMMARY    OF    THE    ABOVE. 

ist.  As  Mr.  Green  wrote  in  1877  and  knew  Smith 
was  only  guilty  of  one  act  of  mischief,  which  was  but 
a  report;  so  Smith  is  clear  of  all  else  at  least. 

2d,  As  Mr.  Spaulding  died  in  18 16  as  repeatedly 
published  in  his  wife's  letter.  Mr.  Smith  told  in 
Green's  presence  the  name  of  the  Book  of  Mormon 
when  but  eleven  years  old,  as  he  was  born  in  1805,  and 
as  the  plates  were  not  had  till  1827,  Mr.  Smith  is  made 
a  prophet  at  eleven  years  of  age. 

3d,  Mr.  Green  being  totally  ignorant  of  what  he 
writes,  gives  the  name  Cochrane  for  Cowdery,  James 
Harris  for  Martin  Harris,  and  McKinsbury  for  McKin- 
stry. 

Elder  M.  T.  Short  of  Millersburg,  Illinois,  re- 
viewed the  letter  of  Mr.  Green  in  the  issue  of  the  Cyno- 
sure of  July  25th,  1878,  of  which  the  editor  in  an  ap- 
pended statement  said:  "The  above  is  the  history  of 
the  Spaulding   book  from  a  Mormon   standpoint,  most 


CONTRADICTORY    STATEMENTS.  267. 

of  our  readers  will  recollect  the  letter  from  Samuel  D. 
Green  in  the  issue  of  December  20th,  1877,  giving  a 
history  of  Joe  Smith,  while  stopping  at  his  hotel  in 
Batavia,  New  York,  and  the  origin  of  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon. Mr.  Green  saw  this  Mr.  Spaulding  as  late  as 
1827,  knew  that  he  lent  his  manuscript  to  Smith  and 
called  for  its  return  several  times  in  vain,  and  heard 
Smith  tell  him  it  was  disposed  of.  The  writer  of  the 
above  would  do  well  to  study  Mr.  Green's  letter  as  it  is 
altogether  reliable  and  its  author  is  yet  living  in  Chel- 
sea,   Massachusetts." 

''Chelsea,  Mass.,  May  12th,  1879. 
<'Mr.  I.  N.  White. 

''Dear  Sir: — I  send  you  the  Christian  Cynosure 
of  the  20th  of  December,  1877.  If  you  had  taken  the 
Cynosure,  one  of  the  best,  open,  candid.  Christian 
papers  published,  you  would  long  ago  know  all  the 
questions  you  asked  me.  *  *  I  saw  Mr.  Spaulding  as 
late  as  1827  and  I  have  a  letter  from  Wm.  Jenkins  (now 
dead)  that  he  saw  Spaulding  in  Attica  in  1829,  and  he 
wanted  to  preach  there.  Another  needful  you  will  get 
from  the  Cynosure.    *  * 

"Yours  truly, 

"Samuel  D.  Green. 
.     "P.  S.— Send   for   the    'Broken   Seal'  to    Ezra   H. 
Cook  &  Co.,  Chicago,  Illinois." 

QUOTATIONS  FROM  THE  BROKEN  SEAL. 

"Samuel  D.  Green,  of  Chelsea,  Massachusetts,  a 
Master  Mason,  who  was  a  member  of  Batavia  Lodge, 
to  which  Morgan  belonged,  and  an  intimate  friend  of 
Morgan's,  and  was,  at  the  time  of  this  abduction, 
mayor  or  president  of  Batavia,  and  a  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  church. 


268.  CONTRADICTORY    STATEMENTS. 

"A  Masonic  Revelation.— Mr.  Samuel  D.  Green 
is  a  venerable  gentleman  of  the  highest  respectability, 
whose  statements  seem  to  be  worthy  of  full  credence. 
The  Broken  Seal,  or,  Personal  Reminiscences  of  the 
Morgan  Abduction  and  Murder,  is  the  title  of  a  book 
of  some  three  hundred  pages  iust  issued  by  him,  pur- 
porting to  give  a  full  and  accurate  account,  from  per- 
sonal  knowledge,  of  the  Morgan  'abduction,'  and  other 
Masonic  matters  which  made  such  an  excitement  in  this 
country,  now  almost  half  a  century  ago." — Congrega- 
tionalist  and  Recorder,  Boston. 

"A  Book  for  the  Times.— We  have  received  from 
the  publisher  a  book  of  thrilling  interest,  entitled  'The 
Broken  Seal,  or,  Personal  Reminiscences  of  Samuel  D. 
Green,  on  the  abduction  of  William  Morgan  by  Free- 
masons, in  1826,' 

"Mr.  Green  is  an  acquaintance  of  ours.  He  is  a 
venerable  gentleman,  of  high  respectability  and  intelli- 
gence, upwards  of  eighty-two  years  of  age,  a  member 
of  the  Congregational  church,  and  we  esteem  him  as  a 
Christian  man," — World's  Crisis. 

In  the  Congregatioilalist  of  October  24th,  1877, 
the  Rev.  Tryon  Edwards,  D.  D.,  of  Philadelphia,  tells 
what  he  knows  about  Mormonism;  he  says:  "The 
Book  of  Mormon  was  in  substance  written  by  Rev.  SjoI- 
omon  Spaulding,  who  was  a  graduate  of  Dartmouth 
college  and  a  Presbyterian  minister,  once  settled  in 
Cherry  Valley,  New  York,  and  afterward  living  in  New 
Salem,  (also  called  Conneaut),  Ohio.  Beginning  in 
1809,  and  writing  at  intervals  as  he  did,  he  often  read 
parts  of  the  work  to  his  neighbors,  and  among  the  lis- 
teners was  Joseph  Smith,  who  not  only  attended  the 
readings,  but  borrowed  the  manuscripts,  as  he   said,  to 


CONTRADICTORY    STATEMENTS.  269. 

read  to  his  family  at  home.  In  1812  the  completed 
manuscript  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  a  printer  in 
Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  by  the  name  of  Patterson,  with  a 
view  to  its  publication.  While  the  printing  was  delayed, 
Mr.  Spaulding  left  Pittsburg,  for  Washington  county, 
Pennsylvania,  where  he  died  in  1816.  While  the  man- 
uscript was  in  the  hands  of  Patterson,  Sidney  Rigdon 
was  working  for  him  as  a  journeyman  printer,  and  it  is 
supposed  that  he,  having  copied  the  manuscript,  with 
Smith  concoted  the  idea  of  the  new  religion!!!" 

MEDITATIVE      OBSERVATIONS. 

Mr.  Smith  who  was  born  December  23d,  1805, 
must  have  been  a  very  interested  listener  to  the  reading 
of  the  manuscript,  which  was  completed  ''in  1812," 
and  ''placed  in  the  hands  of  a  printer."  And  with 
what  elegance  he  must  have  read  it  to  "his  family!" 
Not  many  boys  of  seven  have  a  family.  The  vilifiers 
of  Joseph  Smith  often  make  him  more  remarkable  than 
his  friends  do. 

But  Mr.  Edwards  places  Mr.  Green  in  a  bad  fix, 
as  Spaulding  died  in  1816  he  says,  while  Green  saw 
Spaulding  in  1827,  Mr.  Green  having  heard  Smith  tell 
Spaulding  he  "made  a  Mormon  Bible  out  of  it,"  (man- 
uscript) and  as  Spaulding  died  in  1816,  Smith  was  a 
literary  wonder  at  eleven  years  of  age. 

In  the  Detroit  Tribune  of  February  ist,  1872,  ap- 
peared an  article  entitled,  "The  Mormon  Church." 
The  writer,  J.  F.  D.,  mentions  a  celebrated  discussion 
held  in  New  York  City,  in  1836  or  1837,  at  which  he 
was  present,  and  of  whichhesays:  "It was  shown  that 
Mr.  Spaulding,  from  reading  the  discoveries  made  by 
Mr.  Stephens  and   others  in  Central  America,  was  led 


2 JO.  CONTKADICTORV    STATEMENTS. 

to  select  the  subject  of  his  novel/'  Mr.  Stephens  says; 
"Being  entrusted  with  a  special  confidential  mission  to 
Central  America,  on  Wednesday,  October  3d,  1839,  I 
embarked  on  board  the  British  Brig,  Mary  Ann,  for  the 
bay  of  Honduras."  See  Stephen's  work.  Vol.  i,  chap. 
I,  p.  9. 


EXTRACT  FROM   **LIFE  OF  KIT   CARSON,"  BY  JOHN 
S.    C.    ABBOTT. 

Mr.  Abbott  introduces  one  Wm.  E.  Goodyear, 
and  vouches  for  his  intelligence  and  veracity;  inserts  a 
letter  from  him  in  which  he  says:  "In  the  year  1852, 
I,  then  a  young  man,  in  all  the  vigor  of  early  youth, 
and  of  unusual  health  and  strength,  when  the  wildest 
_*dventures  were  pleasure,  was  led  by  peculiar  circum- 
stances to  undertake  a  trip  across  the  continent.  *  * 
We  reached  the  Great  Salt  Lake,  the  home  of  the  Mor- 
mons, in  safety.  Here  we  remained  for  nearly  a 
month.  I  called  on  Brighara  Young  and  also  on  the 
old  patriarch  Joe  Smith;  from  the  latter,  I  received  a 
commission,  or  power  of  attorney,  for  the  consideration 
two  dollars,  authorizing  me  to  heal  the  sick,  to  raise 
the  dead,  and  to  speak  all  languages.  Perhaps  my 
want  of  faith  left  me  as  powerless  as  other  men,  notwith- 
standing my  commission."— pp.  286-292. 

The  old  patriarch,  Joe  Smith,  as  he  is  here  vulgarly 
called,  died  at  Nauvoo,  Illinois,  September  4th,  1840, 
and  Hyrum  had  succeeded  him,  he  being  killed  in  1844, 
and  beside  there  has  been  no  man  of  that  name  among 
the  Brighamites  as  patriarch  to  this  day  Seeing  a  man 
who  had  been  dead  twelve  years  is  but  a  small  item  in 
lying  on  the  Mormons. 


CONTRADICTORY    STATEMENTS.  27  1. 

JOHN    L.     HILDRETH    DEAD. ONE    OF    THE    BEST    KNOWN 

MEN  IN  THE  WEST   DIES  IN  PUEBLO — LIFE  OF  THE 

MAN     WHO     LOST    THREE     FORTUNES 

CAUSE     OF     HIS     DEATH. 

Special  to  The  News  • 

PuEBLo,  Colo.,  Feb.  i8th,  1894. — John  L.  Hil- 
dreth  died  this  evening,  aged  seventy  years.  Deceased 
had  a  very  adventurous  life  in  California,  Colorado, 
and  the  west  generally,  until  about  twenty  years  ago. 
In  1849,  with  his  parents  and  the  family,  he  went  to 
California,  from  Hannibal,  Missouri,  and  ^from  Salt 
Lake  his  party  were  guided  by  Joseph  Smith,  after- 
wards chief  prophet  of  the  Mormon  church.  They 
suspicioned  treachery  on  the  part  of  Smith,  however, 
and  sent  him  back.  In  their  party  were  the  Oatman 
family,  who  got  tired  of  the  slow  progress  of  the  train 
one  day,  and  pushed  aliead.  They  were  killed  in  the 
Mountain  Meadow  massacre  and  their  wagons  were 
burning  when  the  Hildreth  party  came  on  the  scene. — 
Rocky  Mountain  News,  February  i8th,  1894. 

Joseph  Smith,  the  chief  prophet  of  the  Mormon 
church,  never  was  west  farther  than  Missouri,  and  had 
been  dead  over  four  years  when  this  well  known  man 
saw  him.  The  Mountain  Meadow  Massacre  was  in 
1857,  think  of  these  poor  people  eight  years  in  transit, 
how  tired  they  must  have  been! 


EXTRACT    FROM    THE     '^VILD    WEST,        PUBLISHED 
BY    R.     S.     PEALE,     1888. 

This  purports  to  be  an  account  of  a  dialogue  be- 
tween one  Simpson,  leader  of  U.  S.  Army  train,  and 
Joseph  Smith,  in  1857.  Simpson  asks:  '*  'But  who 
are  you?'       T  am  Joe    Smith,' was  the  reply.       'What! 


272.  CONIRADICTORV    STATEMENTS. 

the  leader  of  the  Danites?'  asked  Simpson.  'You  are 
correct,'  said  Smith.  *  *  'What  do  you  propose  to  d6 
with  us  now?'  'I  intend  to  burn  your  train.  *  *  I  have 
no  way  to  convey  the  stuff  to  my  people,  I'll  see  that  it 
does  not  reat:h  the  U.  S.  troops.'  " — pp.  436-9. 

The  name  "Joe  Smith,"  as  well  as  the  phrase  "my 
people,"  shows  it  was  the  man  who  was  killed  in  1844, 
thirteen  years  before.  Beside  there  has  been  no  Joe 
Smith  at  the  head  of  the  Utah  church  or  its  Danite  band ! 


JOSEPH  SMITH'S  WIVES— WRITERS  VARY. 

Ann  Eliza  says  Smith  lived  with  eleven  girls  as 
adopted  daughters. 

"Joseph  Smith  had  a  dozen  spiritual  wives;  but 
three  sons  survived  him — all  of  his  legal  wife." — Beadle 

P-  375- 

"Joe  Smith  had  over  forty  wives  at  Nauvoo,  and 
yet  the  number  of  his  offspring  fell  far  short  of  even 
that  of  Young." — Smucker  p.  416. 

F.  D.  Richards,  apostle  and  assistant  historian 
in  behalf  of  the  Utah  Mormon  church,  whose  all  de- 
pends upon  the  matter,  says:  "In  a  chapter  furnished 
a  book,  entitled  "What  the  W^orld  Believes,"  page  600, 
"It  is  well  understood  among  the  Latter  Day  Saints 
that  Joseph  Smith  and  many  other  prominent  members 
of  the  church  married  or  had  sealed  to  them  several 
wives.  Joseph  Smith's  first  wife  was  Emma  Hale,  who 
was  married  to  him  January  i8th,  1827.  Of  the  names 
or  number  of  his  other  wives,  as  also  dates  of  their  mar- 
riage to  him,  we  are  not  informed."  Richards  has  seen 
the  fixing  of  names  and  dates  go  to  the  wall  too  often  to 
do  so. 


EXTRACTS    FROM    SIX    U.    S.    HISTORIES, 

COMPARED  WITH   EACH   OTHER 

AND    WITH    FACTS. 


"The  Mormons  or  Latter  Day  Saints,  are  a  relig- 
ious sect,  founded  in  New  York  State  in  1830,  *  * 
afterward  moved  to  Utah.  The  founder  of  this  sect 
was  Joseph  Smith,  who  pretended  to  preach  a  new  gos- 
pel. He  published  'his  revelation'  as  the  'Book  of 
Mormon,'  which  he  induced  a  small  number  of  fanatics 
to  accept  as  a  New  Bible.  The  sect  located  first  in 
Ohio,  in  183 1,  and  next  at  Independence,  Missouri, 
where  their  religious  law  brought  them  into  conflict  with 
the  civil  authorities.  In  consequence  of  this,  they 
moved,  in  1838,  to  Illinois,  where  the  legislature  gave 
theni  a  charter  for  a  city,  Nauvoo.  Here  Smith  set  the 
example  of  polygamous  marriages,  and  polygamy  be- 
came the  practice  of  the  leaders,  though  not  adopted 
by  the  Mormon  church  as  a  part  of  their  creed  until 
later.  This  custom  and  numerous  depredations  upon 
property,  brought  the  Mormons  into  trouble  with  the 
authorities  of  Illinois.  Joseph  Smith  was  shot  in  a  riot, 
(1844).  Brigham  Young  took  Smith's  place  at  the 
head  of  the  church,  and  under  Young's  leadership  most 
of  the  Mormons  emigrated  to  the  vicinity  of  Great  Salt 
Lake,  in  Utah,  (1847-8)."  Extract  from  California 
State  Series  History  of  the  U.  S.,  pp.  262-3. 


2  74-  HISTORIES    COMPARED. 

The  errors  in  the  above  are,  first,  Joseph  Smith 
did  not  pretend  to  preach  a  new  gospel,  but  that  of 
the  New  Testament  which  is  old;  second,  about  two 
hundred  thousand  accepted  the  Book  of  Mormon  as 
true  and  divine,  instead  of  a  ''few  fanatics;*'  third, 
the  Book  of  Mormon  was  never  presented  as  a  Bible, 
either  new  or  old,  but  as  distinct  from  the  Bible  as  are 
the  continents  from  each  other;  fourth,  their  relig- 
ious views  did  not  bring  them  into  conflict  with  the 
Missourians.  President  Van  Buren  said,  "Your  cause 
is  just." — Beadle,  p.  60;  fifth,  Joseph  Smith  did  not 
establish  polygamy;  all  his  life's  labors  were  opposed  to 
it,  as  shown  in  the  recent  decision  by  Judge  Philips  in 
the  Temple  Lot  case;  sixth,  Joseph  Smith  was  not  shot 
in  a  riot,  but  in  jail.  Jail  and  riot  are  hardly  synony- 
mous. 

"The  trouble  in  Utah  was  with  the  Mormons. 
This  sect,  known  as  Mormons  or  Latter  Day  Saints, 
tolerating  a  plurality  of  wives,  arose  some  time  before. 
Joseph  Smith  was  the  founder.  He  was  born  in  1805, 
in  Vermont,  of  humble  origin.  He  removed  with  his 
father  when  quite  a  boy  to  the  neighborhood  of  Pal- 
myra, New  York.  The  family  was  of  that  thriftless 
class  who  made  a  livelihood  by  hunting,  trapping,  well- 
digging  and  peddling  cakes  and  beer.  He  pretended 
to  have  received  his  call  as  a  'prophet'  in  1823,  by  a 
divine  revelation.  The  revelation  was  made  to  Mor- 
mon, a  former  prophet,  and  it  wa-s  called  the  Book  of 
Mormon,  and  hence  t-he  name  of  the  sect.  But  it  wa5 
not  till  1830  that  Mormonism  began  to  take  shape  as  a 
distinct  sect;  a  considerable  number  of  accesions  was 
soon  made  to  its  ranks.  At  Kirtland,  Ohio,  and  Inde- 
pendence,  Missouri,  settlements  were  established.     But 


HISTORIES    COMPARKD.  275. 

public  opinion  soon  drove  them  from  Missouri  and 
Ohio.  They  migrated  to  Illinois  in  1839,  and  built  the 
city  of  Nauvoo.  *  *  Within  the  space  of  two  years, 
two  thousand  houses  were  constructed.  After  a  short 
while,  ill  feeling  was  engendered  betwixt  then}  and  the 
people  of  the  neighborhood,  whk^h  threatened  to  result 
in  a  conflict  of  arms.  On  this  perturbed  state  of  things 
Smith  himself  was  apprehended,  lodged  in  jail,  and 
while  there  killed  by  a  mob  in  June,  1844." — Alex.  H. 
Stephens,  Pictorial  History  of  the  U.  S.,  1882  edition 
published  by  National  Publishing  Co.,  Chicago.  111. 

First,  this  account  is  short  the  usual  tale,  of  water 
witching,  digging  for  treasures,  sheep  stealing,  etc.,  but  the 
"peddling  of  beer  and  cakes"  makes  up  the  deficiency! 
Second,  * 'A  considerable  number  of  accessions  was  soon 
made  to  its  ranks,"  while  the  previous  one  had  it  "a  few 
fanatics."  They  disagree!  Third,.  ''Ill  feeling  was 
engendered,  *  *  Smith  himself  was  apprehended, 
lodged  in  jail  and  while  there  killed  by  a  mob  in  June, 
1844."  That  is  a  very  general  statement  which  preju- 
dice decides  against  Smith.  Eighteen  hundred  years 
ago,  ill  feeling  was  engendered.  Christ  was  appre- 
hended, lodged  in  several  places,  and  killed  by  a  mob. 
Fourth,  By  comparison  of  these  two  extracts  and  the 
following,  by  Bryant,  it  is  clearly  seen  that  history  on 
the  matter  has  been  very  carelessly  written. 

"In  the  autumn  of  1857  the  defiant  resolution  of 
the  Mormons  in  Utak  compelled  the  president  to  re- 
move the  governor,  Brigham  Young,  and  appoint 
Alfred  Cumming,  an  officer  of  the  army  his  successor. 
*  *  Driven  first  from  Missouri  to  Illinois  in  1838,  and 
thence,  ten  years  afterwards  into  the  wilderness,  they 
sought  a   resting  place   and    refuge  in   what   was  then 


276.  HISTORIES    COMPARED. 

called  'The  Great  American  Desert.'  *  *  In  after  years 
the  treacherous  temper  of  their  chief  saints  had  imposed 
the  system  of  polygamy  as  a  latter  revelation  to  Smith." 
— pp.  427-8,  Bryant's  Popular  History  U.  S.,  published 
1881,  byChas.  Scribner,  N.  Y. 

"The  immorality  of  the  Mormon  doctrines,  among 
which,  that  of  polygamy,  or  the  allowing  of  a  plurality 
of  wives,  was  prominent,  recommended  them  to  some, 
and  in  1833,  Smith  found  himself  at  the  head  of  twelve 
hundred  followers.  Jackson  county,  Missouri,  became 
their  headquarters.  *  *  They  crossed  to  Illinois,,  *  * 
founded  the  city  of  Nauvoo.  *  *  At  last,  Joseph  Smith, 
still  the  leading  spirit  among  the  Mormons,  was  arrested, 
and  with  his  brother,  lodged  in  jail  at  Carthage.  Here 
on  the  7th  of  July,  1844,  they  were  killed  by  a  mob 
which  broke  into  the  prison." — Quackenbos,  History 
U.  S.,  published  by  D.  Appleton  &  Co.,  N.  Y..  1875. 

This  reckless  writer  charges  polygamy  as  leading  to 
the  success  attained  in  1833.  Bitter  enemies  as  well  as 
conclusive  evidence  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding. 
The  killing  of  the  Smiths  he  gives  as  July  7th,  whereas 
it  was  June  27th.  This  could  hardly  be  a  typographi- 
cal error,  and  shows  extreme  recklessness. 

"Being  expelled  from  Ohio,  in  1838,  and  from 
Missouri  in  1839,  Smith  attempted  to  introduce  polyg- 
amy in  the  Mormon  belief  when  they  settled  at  Nauvoo, 
Illinois,  but  was  strongly  opposed  by  certain  of  the 
community,  who  established  a  'press  and  published 
opposition  articles.  Smith  headed  a  mob  which  demol- 
ished this  press,  but  this  act  cost  the  prophet  his  life." 
— Eclectic  History  U.  S.,  by  M.  E.  Thalheimer,  pub- 
lished by  Antwerp,  Bragg  &  Co.,  Cincinnati  and  New 
York.      Article  on  the  Mormons  and  Joseph  Smith. 


HISTORIES    COMPARKD,  277. 

While  Quackenbos,  the  last  examined,  set  forth 
polygamy  as  existing  before  1833,  this  one  places  its 
introduction  after  1839.  Smith  did  not  introduce 
polygamy,  neither  did  he  head  the  mob  that  demol- 
ished the  press. 

"Mormonism  gives  its  followers  license  to  commit 
every  crime  that  may  be  sanctioned  by  the  leading 
prophet,  especially  does  it,  by  allowing  polygamy,  de- 
grade and  demoralize  women.  *  *  But  murders,  rob- 
beries and  other  secret  crimes  became  frequent  in  their 
neighborhood.  The  surrounding  people  were  enraged; 
the  Mormon  prophet  and  his  brother  were  seized  by 
the  state  officers,  and  confined  in  jail  at  Carthage.  A 
hundred  armed  men  in  disguise  broke  in  and  murdered 
them.  *  *  .The  Rev.  Mr.  Spaulding  wrote  the  Book  of 
Mormon  as  a  work  of  imagination." — History  of  the 
U.  S.,  by  Emma  Willard,  published  by  A.  S.  Barnes  & 
Co.,  1870. 

In  the  above  no  distinction  is  made  at  all  between 
the  career  of  Smith  and  Young.  It  is  now  a  matter  of 
United  States  Court  decision  in  Temple  Lot  case  that 
Joseph  Smith  and  Brigham  Young  were  widely  different. 
None  of  the  above  allegations  were  true  as  occurring 
under  Smith's  presidency  and  sanction.  See  part  3, 
chapters  6  and  7,  and  on  last  clause  chapter  4  of  same. 
These  six  examined  show  a  queer  medley  of  history  for 
the  proud  nation  of  United  States. 


ENCYCLOPEDIAS  EXAMINED. 

Extracts  from,  and  Brief  Comment  on,  American 
Encyclopedia  of  1863  and  1875.  Britannica  of 
1863,  (Scribner^s)  1844,  (Stoddart's)  and  that 
of  1890,  (Peale's).  Johnson's  of  1888  and  1891. 
Columbia  of  1891.  Constituting  Four  Leading 
Encyclopedias  and  Eight  Editions. 


The  comments  or  references  to  evidences,  showing 
their  errors,  are  notes  numbered  i,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  8 
and  g;  to  avoid  needless  repetition  they  appear  conse- 
cutively and  reference  is  made  to  them  farther  on  as 
occasion  requires. 

Chambers'  edition  of  1881  has  the  only  fair  account 
of  the  origin,  rise  and  development  of  the  Latter  Day 
Saints.  Subsequent  editions  not  now  at  hand  for  com- 
pari'[?on  evidently  are  identical.  It  is  a  credit  to  Cham- 
bers, that  an  attempt  to  give  facts  was  made,  whereas 
the  others  have  been  made  up  from  trashy  stories  on 
Mormonism,  and  from  each  other. 

American  Encyclopedia,  by  D.  Appleton  &  Co., 
1863,  Vol.  II,  p.  733:  "From  the  testimony  of  their 
neighbors  in  Palmyra,  the  reputation  of  the  Smiths  was 
bad.  They  avoided  honest  labor,  and  occupied  them- 
selves chiefly  in  digging  for  hidden  treasures,  and  in 
similar  visionary  pursuits.     They  were  intemperate  and 


ENCYCLOPEDIAS    EXAMINED.  279. 

untruthful,  and  were  commonly  suspected  of  sheep 
stealing  and  other  offences.  Upward  of  sixty  of  the 
most  respectable  citizens  of  Wayne  county,  testified,  in 
1833,  under  oalh,  that  the  Smith  family,  were  of  im- 
moral, false,  and  fraudulent  character,  and  that  Joseph 
was  the  worst  of  them.  These  statements  are  not  in 
general,  contradicted  by  the  Mormons."  (See  note  i 
at  close  of  quotation). 

Referring  to  the  testimony  of  the  three  witnesses, 
Harris,  Cowdery  and  Whitmer,  to  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon, says:  "Several  years  afterward,  however,  all 
three  of  the  witnesses  quarreled  with  Smith,  renounced 
Monnonism,  and  avowed  the  falsity  of  their  testimony." 
(See  note  2). 

Pages  735-740:  "According  to  the  opponents  of 
Mormonism,  from  investigations  soon  after  the  appear- 
ance of  the  'Book  of  Mormon,  the  fact  is  fully  estab 
lished  that  the  real  author  of  the  work  was  Solomon 
Spaulding,  who  was  born  in  Ashford,  Connecticut,  in 
1761,  was  graduated  at  Dartmouth  College,  and  after- 
ward ordained."  *  *  (See  note  3).  "As  eaily  as  1813 
this  work  was  announced  in  the  newspapers  as  forth- 
coming, and  as  containing  a  translation  of  the  Book  of 
Mormon.  (See  note  4).  Spaulding  entitled  his  book 
'Manuscript  Found,'  and  intended  to  publish  with  it  by 
way  of  preface  or  advertisement,  a  fictitious  account  of 
its  discovery  in  a  cave  in  Ohio.  *  *  John  Spaulding, 
a  brother  of  Solomon,  says  in  a  deposition:  'I  made 
him  (Solomon  Spaulding)  a  visit  about  three  years 
after  and  found  that  he  had  failed,^  and  was  consider- 
ably involved  in  debt.  He  then  told  me  he  had  been 
writing  a  book,  which  he  intended  to  have  printed,  the 
avails  of  which  he  thought  would  enable  him  to  pay  all 


2S0.  ENCYCLOPEDrAS    EXAMINED. 

his  debts.  The  book  was  entitled  "Manuscript  Found," 
of  which  he  read  to  me  many  passages.  *  *  By  what 
means  it  has  fallen  into  the  hands  of  Joseph  Smith,  I 
am  unable  to  determine  '  Martha  Spaulding,  the  wife 
of  John  Spaulding,  Henry  Lake,  the  partner  in  busi- 
ness of  Solomon  Spaulding,  and  many  others  corrobor- 
ated these  statements  in  the  fullest  manner.  John  N. 
Miller  of  Springfield,  Pennsylvania,  testified  in  Septem- 
ber, 1833,  that  in  181 1  he  was  in  the  employ  of  Spauld- 
ing, and  lodged  and  boarded  in  his  house,  and  frequent- 
ly perused  portions  of  the  'Manuscript  Found,'  which 
the  author  also  sometimes  read  to  him.  Miller  says: 
'I  have  recently  examined  the  Book  of  Mormon  and 
find  in  it  the  writings  of  Solomon  Spaulding  from  be- 
ginning to  end,  but  mixed  up  with  Scripture  and  other 
religious  matter,  which  I  did  not  meet  in  the  "Manu- 
script Found."  Many  of  the  passages  in  the  Book  of 
Mormon  are  verbatim  from  Spaulding  and  others  in 
part.  (See  note  5).  The  names  of  Nephi,  Lehi, 
Moroni,  and  in  fact  all  the  principal  names  are  brought 
fresh  to  my  recollection  by  the  gold  bible.'  "  (See 
note  6). 

Encyclopedia  Britannica,  ninth  edition,  J.  M.  Stod- 
dart  &  Co.,  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  1884,  Vol.  16, 
p.  852:  *'Smith  was  born  December  23d,  1805,  at 
Sharon,  Windsor  county,  Vermont,  from  which  place 
ten  years  later,  his  parents,  a  poor,  ignorant,  thriftless, 
and  not  too  honest  couple,  removed  to  New  York, 
where  they  settled  on  a  farm  near  Palmyra,  Wayne 
county,  (then  Ontario)."  (See  note  i).  Speaking  of 
Harris,  Cowdery  and  Whitmer,  as  witnesses  and  their 
testimony  found  in  Book  of  Mormon,  says:  "This  tes- 
timony,   all    three    on    renouncing    Mormonism    some 


ENCYCI-OPEDIAS    EXAMINED.  261. 

years  later,  denounced  as  false;  (see  note  2),  but  mean- 
while it  helped  Smith  to  impose  on  the  credulous,  par- 
ticularly in  the  absence  of  the  gold  plates  themselves 
which  suddenly  and  mysteriously  disappeared."  "This 
is  Smith's  account  of  the  book,  but  in  reality  it  was 
written  in  1812  as  an  historical  romance  by  one  Solo- 
mon Spaulding,  a  cracked  brained  preacher,  and  the 
manuscript  falling  into  the  hands  of  an  unscrupulous 
compositor,  Sidney  Rigdon,  was  copied  by  him  and 
subsequently  given  to  Smith."  (See  note  7  at  close  of 
this). 

The  ninth  edition,  by  Scribner,  of  1883  and  that  of 
R.  S.  Peale  &  Co.  of  1890  are  identical. 

Johnson's  Encyclopedia,  issued  1888,  Vol.  7,  p. 
304:  "Joseph  Smith  was  born  at  Sharon,  Vermont, 
December  23d,  1805,  removed  while  a  child,  with  his 
parents,  to  Palmyra,  New  York,  where  he  grew  up 
almost  without  education,  leading  an  idle  and  rather 
disreputable  life,  (see  note  i),  and  about  1828  began 
to  put  forth  vague  claims  as  the  founder  of  a  new  relig- 
ion, or  rather  as  the  restorer  of  the  original  true  faith." 
Of  the  ttrree  witnesses  to  the  Book  of  Mormon,  says: 
"Subsequently  all  three  of  the  witnesses  fell  out  with 
Smith  and  declared  the  whole  matter  to  be  a  hoax." 
(See  note  2).  "There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  Book  cf 
Mormon  was  a  kind  of  historical  romance,  written 
nearly  twenty  years  before  by  Samuel  Spaulding,  at 
one  time  a  clergyman."     (See  note  5). 

Vol.  5,  page  540:  "It  was  soon  proved  beyond 
doubt  that  the  Book  of  Mormon  was  simply  a  sort  of 
historical  romance  written  in  1812,  by  one  Solomon 
Spaulding  *  *  and  that  the  manuscript  became  lost  in 
a  printing   ofifice  in    Pittsburg,    under   the   hands  of  an 


282.  ENCYCLOPEDIAS    EXAMINED. 

apprentice,  Sidney  Rigdon,  vvho  in  1829  became  an  as- 
sociate of  Joseph  Smith."  (See  note  7).  Describing 
Brigham  Young,  it  says:  "The  whole  success  of  the  sect 
and  all  the  elements  of  respectability  are  due  to  him, 
whil^  all  its  miseries  and  all  its  excesses  had  their  roots 
in  Joseph  Smith's  character." 

Mr.  Johnson,  appreciating  Brigham's  career  as  re- 
spectable, would  of  course  set  forth  Joseph  Smith's  the 
reverse  as  they  were  opposites.  No  one  will  deny  Mr. 
Johnson  the  right  of  choice.  What  of  the  Reorganiza- 
tion that  Mr.  Johnson  entirely  ignores?  Johnson's 
reissue  of  1891  is  identical  with  the  above. 

The  Columbian  Encyclopedia  by  Garretson,  Cox 
&  Co.,  New  York,  1891,  Vol.  20,  article  Mormon: 
"Joseph  Smith  was  born  in  1805,  at  Sharon,  Windsor 
county,  Vermont,  son  of  a  farmer.  His  parents  were 
ignorant  and  of  low  repute.  *  *  The  reputation  of  the 
family  is  said  to  have  been  of  the  worst  kind;  we  are 
told  that  they  avoided  honest  labor,  were  intemperate, 
untruthful,  and  suspected  of  sheep  stealing  and  other 
offenses."  (See  note  i).  "There  is  the  most  satisfac- 
tory evidence — that  of  his  enemies — to  show>that  from 
an  early  period  he  was  regarded  as  a  visionary  and  a 
fanatic."  (Note  8).  "The  Book  of  Mormon  finally 
appeared  before  the  world  in  1830  with  the  names  of 
Cowdery,  Harris  and  Whitmer  appended  to  a  statement 
that  an  angel  from  God  came  down  from  heaven  and 
showed  them  the  original  plates,  a  statement  which,  a 
few  years  later,  was  declared  false  by  all  three  witnes- 
ses." (Note  2).  "The  so  called  Book  of  Mormon 
was  really  borrowed  or  stolen  nearly  verbatim  from  a 
manuscript  historical  romance  written  in  1812,  by 
a  quondam   clergyman,    Solomon   Spaulding,   a  man  of 


ENCYCLOPEDIAS    EXAMINED.  283. 

some  gifts  but  of  unbalanced  mind,  who  died  in  1816. 
The  Mormons  of  course  declare  the  whole  story  of 
Spaulding's  manuscript  romance  a  scandalous  fabrica- 
tion. While  the  death  of  those  who  could  have  testi- 
fied to  the  facts  prevents  the  evidence  of  Spaulding's 
authorship  from  being  absolutely  conclusive,  nothing 
has  ever  been  shown  disproving  it."  (See  note  5  again). 
Of  settlement  in  Missouri  in  1831,  says:  "Land  was 
largely  bought,  preaching  was  vigorously  carried  on,  a 
printing  press  was  established,  *  *  everywhere  was 
visible  a  spirit  of  industry,  sobriety,  order,  and  clean- 
liness. It  is  only  fair  to  the  Mormons  to  state  these 
things.  Account  for  it  as  we  may,  they  were  in  many 
important  respects,  morally,  socially  and  industrially, 
far  in  advance  of  their  neighbors."  (Note  9).  '^1832, 
March  22d,  a  mob  of  Methodists,  Baptists,  Disciples, 
and  miscellaneous  zealots  broke  into  the  prophet's 
house,  tore  him  from  his  wife's  arras,  *  *  and  tarred 
and  feathered  him." 

This  last  item  shows  clearly  why  Smith  and  his  co- 
workers were  held  to  be  such  bad  fellows;  having  ex* 
hausted  all  else  to  down  them  and  their  cause,  tar  and 
FEATHERS  was  rcsortcd  to  by  this  religious  mob.  Sev- 
eral extracts  from  Bancroft  in  part  3,  chapter  6,  set 
forth  the  same  facts.  Those  who  would  descend  to  tar 
and  feathers,  would  also  malign  and  vilify.  Lies  go 
swiftly  but  truth  wins  in  the  end. 

Note  i. — The  statements  referred  to  have  been 
denied  all  along  the  line  for  sixty  years  by  Mormons, 
and  proved  untrue  from  various  sources  and  at  divers 
times  and  places.  See  Facts  from  Painsville,  Mur- 
dock's  protest,  and  interview  of  citizens  of  Palmyra, 
New  York.      Part  3,  chapter  3  of  this  work. 


284.  ENCYCLOPEDIAS    EXAMINED. 

Note  2.  -  Never,  in  a  single  instance,  did  either  of 
the  three  deny  their  testimony;  even  after  they  stood 
aloof  from  the  church,  and  at  death  all  reaffirmed  their 
testimony.      See  chapter  14,  Book  Unsealed. 

Note  3. — Mrs.  Spaulding  in  1834  delivered  to 
Hurlbut  the  manuscript  so  it  could  be  published.  See 
part  3,  chapter  4  of  this  work.  '"The  Spaulding  Manu- 
script Story  in  Brief." 

Note  4. — Spaulding  according  to  this  was  to  trans- 
late the  Book  of  Mormon  fourteen  years  before  Joseph 
Smith  procured  the  plates,  and  seven  years  before  he 
first  saw  them,  and  when  Smith  was  but  eight  years  of 
age.  Lying  may  yet  be  found  a  good  thing,  but  it  cer- 
tainly was  overdone  in  this  case. 

Note  5. — -AVhat  a  miserable,  reckless  liar  this  Mil- 
ler .must  have  been.  Howe  did  not  publish  the  manu- 
script because  "it  did  not  read  like  we  expected,  and 
we  did  not  use  it."  See  part  3,  chapter  4  again,  espec- 
ially the  comparison  made  by  Fairchild  and  Rice,  also, 
that  John  N.  Miller's  name  is  in  the  postscript  as 
witness  to  the  verity  of  manuscript  as  Spaulding's. 

Note  6. — Reference  same  as  in  notes  3  and  5,  the 
reader  will  notice  that  Rice  and  P&irchild  say:  "There 
seems  to  be  no  name  or  incident  common  to  the  two." 
''There  is  no  identity  of  names,  of  persons  or  places, 
and  there  is  no  similarity  of  style  between  them." 

Note  7. — This  date,  1829,  is  unfortunately  late,  as 
the  manuscript  of  Book  of  Mormon  was  delivered  to 
the  printer  in  August,  1829.  Mr.  Braden  in  his  vast 
research  attending  the  labor  of  four  debates  with 
Elder  E.  L.  Kelley,  takes  the  position  that  1827  was 
the  best  time  to  bring  Smith  and  Rigdon  together. 
Smith's  home  was  Palmyra,  New  York;  Rigdon  in  Ohio, 


ENCYCLOPEDIAS    EXAMINED.  .  285, 

several  hundreds  of  miles  apart  and  no  railroads  or 
even  stage  lines  direct.  Rigdon's  whereabouts  for  1827 
as  given  by  Kelley  in  the  Laraoni,  Iowa,  debate:  '*My 
first  date  is  January,  1827,  Rigdon  is  at  Mantua,  O., 
Hayden's  History,  p.  237;  February  27th,  at  Chester, 
O.;  March  and  April,  protracted  meeting  at  Mentor, 
O.;  June  5-7,  Painsville,  O.,  probate  records;  July 
3- [2,  Mentor,  O.,  probate  records;  July  19,  Men- 
tor, O.;  August  23,  New  Lisbon,  O. ;  Hayden  pp. 
55-57;  September,  returns  home  to  Mentor,  O.;  Octo- 
ber 9,  Mentor,  O.;  October  last  part,  Warren,  O.; 
Hayden,  p.  59;  November,  New  Lisbon,  Hayden,  pp. 
72-76;  December  6,  Kirtland,  O.,  probate  records; 
December  13,  Concord,  O.,  probate  records."  See 
also  part  3,  chapter  5  of  this  work. 

Note  8. — "There  is  the  most  satisfactory  evidence, 
that  of  his  enemies."  Is  not  that  a  brilliant  view 
of  evidence?  No  juror  is  admitted  who  has  formed 
an  opinion  on  a  case!  Whose  reputation  or  character 
on  earth,  or  the  angels  of  heaven  either,  would  be  safe 
from  this  point  of  view?     Shame  on  such  work. 

Note  9. — The  date  given  is  1831,  remember.  This 
strong  statement  from  an  opposing  witness,  showing 
the  virtues  of  this  people  in  advance  of  those  surround- 
ing them,  nicely  offsets  much  of  the  villainous  lying  that 
has  been  done.  Joseph  Smith  being  an  honorable, 
honest,  conscientious,  God-fearing  man,  gathered  such 
around  him.  See  also  extract  from  Bancroft's  New 
History  of  Utah,  p.  164,  as  found  in  part  3,  chapter  6 
of  this  work. 

Let  those  who  fight  Joseph  Smith  so  hard  and  prove 
nothing  against  him,  consider  Moses  who  slew  theFgyp- 
tian,  and   David   who   placed  Uriah  in  front  of  battle. 


286.  ENCYCLOPEDIAS    EXAMINED. 

and  this  also:  "The  smoke  ascending  from  the  funeral 
pile  of  Servetus  was  a  witness  of  the  stain  upon  the 
character  of  John  Calvin  that  all  the  special  pleading 
of  men  can  not  remove.  The  followers  of  Calvin  or 
Knox  forget  to  tell  the  world  that  the  former  burned 
Servetus.  The  Presbyterian  of  today  would  quickly 
resent  the  insult  offered  his  faith,  were  we  to  tell  him 
that  Presbyterianism  sanctioned  murder.  He  would 
suddenly  discover  that  individual  unholy  acts  did  not 
condemn  the  doctrines  held  by  the  transgressor,  unless 
they  were  the  legitimate  consequence  of  them."  Even 
of  our  good  Mr.  Wesley  it  is  related  that:  "He  was 
accused  of  diverting  the  people  from  labor,  (while 
laboring  as  a  missionary  at  Savannah,  Georgia,),  of 
fomenting  divisions,  of  claiming  high  and  unwarranted 
ecclesiastical  authority.  His  conduct  towards  a  neice 
of  one  of  the  principal  settlers,  (a  Miss  Williams),  was 
highly  resented  by  her  friends.  Thirteen  indictments 
for  alleged  offences,  were  found  against  him,  but  be- 
fore the  time  of  trial  he  returned  to  England,  (left 
under  cover  of  his  friends  at  night,)  and  therefor  many 
years  pursued  a  successful  and  distinguished  career  of 
piety  and  usefulness." — History  of  the  United  States, 
by  Wiley,  published  in  1830,  in  New  York. 


REFERENCES  RELATIVE  TO  THE  REORGAN- 
IZED  CHURCH  OF  JESUS  CHRIST 
OF  LATTER  DAY  SAINTS. 


Encyclopedia  Britannica,  Vol.  i6,  p.  828:  *'A1- 
ready  there  are  not  wanting  signs  of  approaching  disso- 
lution, of  which,  perhaps,  the  most  significant  is  the 
conference  of  the  'Reorganized  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Latter  Day  Saints,'  held  on  the  6th  of  April,  1883, 
at  Kirtland,  Lake  county,  Ohio.  This  sect  originated 
in  185 1,  seven  years  after  the  death  of  Joseph  Smith, 
when  several  officers  of  the  church  met  and  claimed  to 
have  received  a  revelation  from  God,  directing  them  to 
repudiate  Brigham  Young  as  not  being  the  divinely 
appointed  and  legitimate  successor  of  Joseph  Smith, 
and  as  being  the  promulgator  of  such  false  doctrines  as 
polygamy,  Adam  God  worship  and  the  right  to  shed 
the  blood  of  apostates.  * 

"Nothing  of  special  importance  occurred,  how- 
ever, until  i860,  when  Joseph  Smith,  jr.,  the  eldest  son 
of  the  founder  of  the  faith,  became  identified  with  the 
Reorganized  Church  as  its  president.  Since  then  the 
seceders  have  prosecuted  misssionary  work  throughout 
the  United  States,  Great  Britain,  Canada,  Scandinavia^, 
Switzerland,  Australia  and  the  Society  Islands,  until 
their  communicants  are  said  to  number  over  twenty- 
seven   thousand.       Their  headquarters  are  at   Lamoni, 


288.  REFERENCES    TO    REORGANIZED    CHURCH. 

Iowa,  to  which  place  they  removed  from  Piano,  Illinois, 
1881. 

*'The  Reorganized  Church  holds  that  the  legiti- 
mate successor  to  Joseph  Smith  was  his  eldest  son;  that 
the  allegation  that  Smith  introduced  polygamy  on  the 
strength  of  divine  revelation  was  an  invention  of  Brig 
ham  Young;  that  the  Utah  Church  has  departed  griev- 
ously from  the  faith  and  practices  laid  down  in  the 
Book  of  Mormon  and  subsequent  revelations  of  Joseph 
Smith,  and  that  the  Reorganized  Church  is  the  only 
true  and  lawful  continuation  of  and  successor  to  the 
the  original  church  and  as  such  is  legally  entitled  to  all 
that  church's  property  and  rights;  and  it  was  to  cele- 
brate the  decision  of  the  United  States'  Court  of  Ohio, 
confirming  this  last  claim,  and  vesting  in  them  the  right 
to  the  temple  consecrated  in  Kirtland,  Ohio,  in  1836, 
and  for  nearly  forty  years  disused,  owing  to  litigation, 
that  the  Reorganized  church  met  in  that  temple  on  the 
6th  of  April,  1883.'' 

The  above  is  from  edition  of  1883,  that  of  1890, 
by  Peale,  being  identical. 

''A  portion  of  the  Mormons  reject  polygamy,  and 
do  not  approve  of  Brigham  Young  or  of  the  church  in 
Utah.  Joseph  Smith,  the  son  of  the  prophet,  is  re- 
garded by  them  as  the  true  living  head  of  the  church, 
and  under  his  direction  they  have  established  them- 
selves at  Nauvoo."— American  Encyclopedia,  issues  of 
1863  and  1875.  The  supplement  for  1894  has  the  first 
article  as  furnished  by  the  Reorganization,  all  hitherto 
being  refused  though  different  encyclopedias  were  furn- 
ished copy.  * 

''The  great  social  peculiarity  of  the  sect  is  their 
practice  of  polygamy.      It  was  not  so,  however,  at  first. 


REFERENCES     1 0    REORGANIZED    CHURCH.  289. 

Rigdon,  Kimball,  Pratt,  Hyde  and  Young,  are  its  true 
originators.  Emma,  wife  and  widow  of  the  prophet 
Smith,  stoutly  denied  that  her  husband  ever  had  any  wife 
but  herself:  Young's  'revelation'  she  declared  to  be  a 
fraud,  and  in  consequence  she  withdrew  to  Nauvoo. 
Her  four  sons  followed  her,  and  have  now  founded  a 
monogamic  Mormon  community,  called  the  Josephites, 
but  naming  themselves  the  Reorganized  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter  Day  Saints." 

The  above  is  from  the  Columbia  Encyclopedia  of 
1891.  Chambers  of  1891  being  identical  as  to  facts 
and  almost  verbatim  in  word. 

the  difference    stated  officially. 

"Department  of  State,       }^ 
"Washington,  April  4,   (88;^.  \ 

"Messrs.  Joseph  Smith  and  Z.  H.  Gurley, 

Committe,  etc.,  Lamoni,  Iowa, 
"Gentlemen: — I  have  to  acknowledge  your  com- 
munication of  the  23d  of  February  last  in  regard  to  a 
circular  letter  issued  by  the  Hon.  W.  M.  Evarts,  when 
Secretary  of  State,  to  the  diplomatic  agents  of  this 
country  abroad,  requesting  foreign  Governments  to  dis- 
criminate against  the  emigration  of  Mormon  converts 
to  the  United  States,  and  you  ask  that  a  distinction  be 
made  between  the  polygamous  Mormons  of  Utah,  and 
the  non-polygamous  Mormons  of  the  Reformed  Church 
to  which  you  belong.  In  reply,  I  have  to  say  that  Mr. 
Evarts'  circular  was  directed  against  polygamy,  and  in- 
tended to  warn  those  persons  abroad  who  emigrated  to 
this  country  for  the  purpose  of  joining  polygamous 
communities  that  they  would  thereby  expose  themselves 
to  the  operation  of  the  penal  laws  of  the  United  States. 


290.  REFERENCES    TO    REORGANIZED    CHURCH. 

It  is  contrary  to  the  practice  of  this  government  to  give 
by  circular,  as  is  proposed,  any  sanction  or  indorse- 
ment of  a  specific  form  of  belief. 

''It  is  for  the  agents  of  any  religion  to  make  known 
its    character.         Law-abiding    emigrants    are    secure 
against  interference.       I  am,  gentlemen, 
"Your  obliging  servant, 

''Frederick  T.  Frelinghuysen." 

Governor  Murray  says  in  The  North  American 
Review  for  January,  1884:  "The  Mormons  known  as 
the  'Reorganized  Church,'  are  entitled  to  the  respect  of 
all,  and  that  Church  recognizes  and  receives  in  com- 
mon with  all  others,  every  protection  under  the  consti- 
tutional guarantee.  But  polygamous  Mormonism, 
which  has  overridden  the  Constitution,  nullified  Feder- 
al legislation,  and  defied  the  Government,  has  made  of 
Utah  a  deformed  child." 

KNOWN    FAVORABLY     THROUGH    THE    PRESS. 

Of  very,  many  collected,  the  author  of  this  work 
has  had  difficulty  in  confining  himself  to  the  few 
notices  of  the  press  given.  The  first  thought  was  to 
present  one  from  each  paper;  that  being  precluded  the 
next  was  one  from  each  locality,  but  finally  they  are 
passed  by  from  east,  west,  north  and  south,  and  only 
the  few  that  follow  selected. 

History  Decatur  county,  Iowa,  pp.  513,  514,  says 
of  President  Joseph  Smith  of  the  Reorganize*!  Church: 
"His  youth  was  passed  amid  trials,  sorrows  and  afflic- 
tions that  would  have  embittered  one  of  less  noble  char- 
acter against  thc^vorld.  His  life  has  been  saddened  by 
the  events  of  those  years,  but  his  manhood  has  not 
deteriorated,  and  it  may  be  that  the  persecution  of  his 


REFERENCES    TO    REORGANIZED    CHURCH.  29I. 

family,  which  did  not  end  with  the  death  of  his  father, 
has  had  much  to  do  with  forming  his  character.  No 
semblance  of  intolerance  has  place  there.  The  same 
liberty  of  action  and  thought  he  exercises  himself,  he 
freely  accords  to  all.  *  *  In  religion,  loyal  to  the  faith 
of  his  father,  he  recognizes  in  every  worker  of  good,  a 
brother.  As  a  citizen,  no  man  outranks  him  in  fealty 
to  the  government.  As  a  man,  his  character  of  honor 
and  integrity  stands  unquestioned.  *  *  He  has  with 
others  labored  diligently,  *  *  has  seen  the  church 
over  which  he  presides  grow  from  a  handful,  obscure 
and  unpopular,  into  a  body  of  persistent  workers  of 
many  thousands  of  honest,  honorable  men,  known  and 
loved  of  their  neighbors,  and  loyal  to  their  country." 

The  Kendall  County  Record  said  of  President 
Joseph  Smith's  departure,  when  removing  to  Lamoni, 
Iowa,  in  October,  1881:  "Mr.  Smith  leaves  Piano, 
but  carries  the  good  will  of  Piano's  citizens  with  him. 
He  has  lived' here  for  the  past  fifteen  years,  and  has 
always  borne  the  reputation  of  a  good  citizen.  Always 
to  be  found  on  the  side  of  right,  he  maintained  his  pos- 
ition to  the  end,  and  goes  to  his  future  home  with  sad 
farewells  and  good  wishes  of  his  many  friends." 

Iowa  contains  more  of  the  members  of  the  Reor- 
ganized Latter  Day  Saint  Church  than  aay  other  state. 
The  leading  paper  of  the  state  says  editorially:  ''The 
Reorganized  Mormon  church  under  President  Smith  not 
only  refrains  from  endorsing  polygamy,  but  is  perhaps 
the  most  alert  and  active  enemy  that  the  abomination 
has.  As  a  church  under  this  president,  it  is  as  much 
entitled  to  recognition  and  public  favor  as  any  of  the 
many  churches  of  the  day,  so  far  as  honesty  of  purpose 
and  action  are  concerned." — Register,  March  20,  1887. 


292.  REFERENCES    TO    REORGANIZED    CHURCH. 

The  Cleveland  Herald  says  of  the  Reorganized 
Church  in  conference,  April  1883,  under  date  of  April 
6th:  *'The  flood-gates  were  lifted  this  morning,  and 
the  deluge  of  praise  and  thanksgiving,  of  reminiscence 
and  story,  that  for  ten  days  is  to  envelop  Kirtland, 
came  down  in  full  force.  All  day  yesterday  and  all 
through  today  the  crowds  have  poured  in  until  this 
little  village  is  full.  *  *  Although  many  more  are  ex- 
pected, enough  are  already  present  to  comfortably  fill 
the  spacious  audience  room.  As  a  class,  the  Mormons 
gathered  within  the  old  temple  this  afternoon  were  as 
fine  a  looking  religious  body  of  men  and  women  as  ever 
gathered  together.  Many  of  them  saw  the  interior  of 
the  old  temple  for  the  first  time  in  over  forty  years.  To 
others  it  was  the  first  realization  to  them  of  the  famil- 
iar story  of  the  early  struggles  of  their  fathers  in  the 
faith,  when  the  Church  was  in  its  infancy." 

Under  date  of  the  7th  it  says:  *'To  say  the  open- 
ing [of  conference]  was  a  magnificent  success,  is  not 
putting  it  too  strong." 

The  Herald  of  the  9th  contained  the  following: 
**The  affair  is  certainly  a  success.  Nearly  six  hundred 
votes  are  cast  at  the  business  meetings.  *  *  It  is  the 
anniversary  of  the  founding  of  a  church  that  has 
attracted  the  attention  of  people  in  all  parts  of  the 
world.  *  *  A  more  devoted  or  conscientious  body  of 
delegates  never  assembled  for  a  like  purpose.  *  * 
Nothing  can  exceed  the  persistency  with  which  the 
Mormons  gathered  here  denounce  the  evils  of  their 
brethren  of  the  Utah  Church.  The  consciousness  that 
they  are  continually  reproached  on  that  account  evi- 
dently aggravates  them  greatly. 

"Said  President  Smith  to  your   representative   this 


REFERENCES    TO    REORGANIZED    CHURCH.  293. 

morning,  'We  differ  from  them  in  almost  everything. 
They  are  a  theocracy.  What  they  are  told  to  do  must 
be  done.  There  can  be  no  excuse.  With  us  there  is 
freedom  of  thought.'  The  Hon.  R.  P.  Harmon,  in 
speaking  of  the  ministers  present  says:  *In  intellectual 
acumen  I  think  they  stand  above  the  average  clerical 
assemblies.'  " 

INVITED     BACK    TO    KIRTLAND,     OHIO. 

''Editor  Willoughby  Independent: — Saturday 
evening  last  will  be  long  remembered  as  one  of  the  largest 
and  most  enthusiastic  gatherings  in  the  history  of  Kirt- 
land.  The  event  that  called  forth  this  company  was  the 
work  of  the  late  discussion  between  the  Rev.  Clark 
Braden,  of  Illinois,  of  the  Disciple  Church,  and  E.  L. 
Kelley,  now  of  Kirtland,  formerly  of  Glenwood,  Iowa,  of 
the  Reorganized  Church  of  Christ  of  L.  D.  S.  The  gath- 
ering was  in  recognition  of  the  work  of  Mr.  Kelley  dur- 
ing the  discussion,  and  made  a  surprise  to  him  and  his 
family — and  also  a  further  honor  to  Elder  Wm.  H. 
Kelley,  of  Coldwater,  Michigan,  who  has  for  the  past 
year  rendered  at  times  ministerial  labor  in  Kirtland. 
The  company  consisted  of  seventy-five  citizens  of  Kirt- 
land, nearly  all  of  whom  had  attended  upon  the  eigh- 
teen sessions  of  the  discussion  just  closed,  and  none  of 
whom  are  connected  with  the  church  of  which  Mr. 
Kelley  is  a  member;  and  a  number  of  other  citizens  who 
had  attended  upon  the  discussion  sent  their  regrets  at 
not  being  able  to  be  present  from  various  causes  of 
hindrance.  *  *  Speech  by  L.  V.  Sanborn,  Esq.,  of 
Kirtland,  as  follows: 

"  'Mr.  E.  L.  Kelley: — A  few  of  your  friends  and 
neighbors  have  met  at  your  house  this  evening  for  the 


294-  REFERENCES    TO    REORGANI^^ED    CHURCH. 

purpose  of  expressing,  by  word  and  by  deed,  our  appre- 
ciation of  you  as  a  citizen,  as  a  neighbor,  and  as  a 
christian.  AVe  come  in  unity  of  sentiment  with  regard 
to  our  views  as  to  the  sincerity  of  your  belief.  During 
the  late  discussion  in  whk:h  you  have  been  engaged,  we 
have  had  strong  evidences  of  your  faith  by  the  charity 
of  your  language,  in  return  for  the  abuses  of  your  oppo- 
nent. But  in  strict  keeping  with  the  agreement  for  the 
discussion.  You  have  met  the  enemy  on  every  issue 
and  he  is  vanquished;  and  now  we  have  come  to  crown 
the  success  of  your  efforts,  and  to  encourage  you,  if 
possible,  by  our  visit  and  our  sentiments,  in  the  main- 
tenance of  that  manly  bearing  and  christian  spirit  which 
has  so  characterized  your  conduct  and  your  language 
through  the  entire  discussion.  We  admire  the  honest 
and  able  manner  in  which  you  discussed  the  questions 
at  issue,  and  especially  denounce  the  dishonest,  unquali- 
fied language  of  your  opponent,  whose  part  of  the 
debate  was  not  argument,  but  mere  slander  and  vilifi- 
cation, which  pleased  and  satisfied  only  the  bigoted, 
the  prejudiced,  or  the  weak  minded.  And  we  believe 
it  would  be  a  serious  mistake  for  member*  of  this  com- 
munity to  support  or  favor  such  an 'act,  knowing  the 
dishonorable  reputation  of  the  man,  whose  manner  and 
language  does  not  belie  that  reputation — just  because 
he  opposes  the  religion  of  the  Reorganized  Church  of 
Latter  Day  Saints,  whose  only  sin  (if  it  may  be  called 
a  sin)  is  in  believing  the  whole  of  the  Bible,  and  a  little 
more.'  " 

At  a  later  social  occasion  the  following  was  said: 
*<To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kelley  and  Elder  Columbus  Scott: 
The  citizens  of  Kirtland  who  have  met  at  this  social 
gathering,  welcome   you  back  to  the  place  of  worship, 


REFERENCKS    TO    REORGANIZED    CHURCH.  295. 

and  home  of  your  fathers;  and  may  your  every  effort 
be  blessed  in  doing  good,  and  to  this  end  do  we  extend 
our  sincere  sympathy  and  warmest  congratulations." 

INDEPENDENCE,      MISSOURI. 

''The  Reorganized  Church  of  Latter  Day  Saints  is 
holding  an  annual  conference  of  the  world  here  at  the 
present  time.  The  leading  men  of  the  church  are  here 
and  it  is  fully  represented  in  all  its  parts. 

"The  conference  is  composed  of  a  greater  number 
of  delegates  than  ever  assembled  at  Independence  prior 
to  this  time,  and  of  a  representation  from  a  greater  terri- 
tory than  has  gathered  together  for  similar  purposes  in 
many  years. 

"The  people  who  have  come  here  have  the  appear- 
ance of  honest,  zealous,  faithful  men,  engaged  in  what 
they  conceive  to  be  the  propagation  of  great  truths  that 
have  been  confided  their  care  and  been  made  their 
especial  responsibilities.  They  teach  the  cardinal  virtues 
of  the  christian  religion  and  such  the  orthodox  churches 
hold  and  believe.  They  claim  a  new  revelation  and 
that  the  day  of  special  revelation  has  not  passed.  They 
invite  investigation,  and  are  open  and  candid  in  their 
lives  and  conduct. 

*'I't  is  not  longer  excusable  to  charge  upon  the  Re- 
organized Church  sympathy  with  the  polygamists.  They 
regret  the  Salt  Lake  dogma  with  loathing  and  disgust, 
and  teach  and  keep  the  marriage  relation  as  sacredly  as 
other  Protestant  people. 

"The  sobriety  of  the  Mormon  people  of  this  com- 
munity and  their  testimony  against  all  forms  of  dissipa- 
tion does  them  great  honor  and  ought  to  silence  the 
tongue   of   ignorant    criticism.        Men   are   entitled   to 


296.  REFERENCES    TO    REORGANIZED    CHURCH. 

credit  for  lives  of  usefulness  and  morality  and  there 
should  be  no  disposition  to  withhold  it  from  them.  It 
can  not  be  an  unprofitable  thing  for  other  than  the 
Mormon  citizens  of  Independence  to  make  this  confer- 
ence the  means  of  learning  more  about  the  sect  or 
denomination  that  has  become  so  numerous  in  and 
about  the  city  and  which  is  destined,  it  seems,  to  take 
so  prominent  a  part  in  moulding  the  minds  of  so  many 
people." — Editorial,  Independence  (Mb.)  Daily  Sen- 
tinel, April  7,  1888. 

Of  the  conference  of  1882,  the  Slewartsville,  Mis- 
souri, Independent  said:  "The  conference  of  the 
Church  of  Christ  (Latter  Day  Saints)  is  in  session  in 
this  city,  and  is  attended  by  large  numbers  of  members 
from  all  parts  of  the  union.  Every  train  has  brought 
new  additions  to  the  already  large  number,  until  the 
city  presents  a  very  lively  appearance.  It  is  thought 
that  the  visit  of  many  of  them  will  result  in  the  pur- 
chase of  property  and  becoming  residents.  They  are  a 
good  class  of  citizens  and  should  be  given  every  facility 
to  become  residents  if  they  wish." 

INVITED    TO    NAUVOO. 

Herald,  January  i,  1878,  contained  this:  *'0n  the 
i8th  of  December,  1877,  we  received  by  express,  a 
petition  of  which  the  following  is  a  copy,  addressed  to 
the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day  Saints: 

"  'We,  the  undersigned  citizens  of  Nauvoo,  and 
surrounding  country,  most  cordially  invite  the  head  or 
leaders  of  the  Reorganized  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter  Day  Saints,  to  establish  the  headquarters  of 
their  church  in  said  city  of  Nauvoo. 

"  'We  believe  that   the  odium   rightfully    attached 


REFERENCES    TO    REORGANIZED    CHURCH.  297. 

to  the  Brighamite  Mormons  in  the  infamous  practice 
of  polygamy  is  detached  from  the  Reorganized  Church 
of  Latter  Day  Saints;  we  believe  you  will  receive  a 
cordial  welcome  and  reception  from  all  philanthropic 
people  of  our  county,  and  we  further  believe  by  estab- 
lishing the  headquarters  of  your  church  in  the  afore- 
said City  of  Nauvoo,  with  our  united  efforts  we  can 
build,  or  make  it  one  of  the  most  popular  cities  in  the 
military  district.'  (Signed). 

"This  petition  is  followed  by  a  list  of  signers  three 
and  a  half  yards  long,  some  portion  of  its  length  signed 
in  double  columns,  comprising  the  names  of  nearly  all 
the  leading  business,  professional  and  laboring  men  of 
the  city  and  its  immediate  vicinity.  We  are  pleased  to 
note  the  names  of  many  citizens  whom  we  knew  while  re- 
siding at  Nauvoo,  ^^hom  we  respected,  and  with  whom  we 
labored  for  the  good'and  quiet  of  the  town.  *  *  Nor 
was  our  joy  made  less  upon  seeing  in  the  Cafthage 
Gazette,  a  paper  published  at  the  county  seat  of  Han- 
cock county,  by  Mr.  Thomas  C.  Sharp,  whom  all  Saints 
have  reason  to  remember,  the  following  editorial: 

"  'The  Nauvoo  Independent  says  that  a  petition, 
signed  by  some  four  hundred  persons,  has  been  for- 
warded to  Joseph  Smith,  Jr.,  requesting  him  to  make 
Nauvoo  the  Head  Quarters  of  his  reformed  church  of 
Latter  Day  Saints.  Some  of  the  old  anti-Mormon  citi- 
zens are  a  little  nervous  over  this  matter — we  are  not. 
*  *  '—Carthage  Gazette,  Dec.    26th,  1877." 

REUNION  AT  LOGAN,   IOWA. 

"The  Glob^,  of  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa,  in  its  issue 
for  October  13th,  1892,  gave  the  Latter  Day  Saints  the 
following  flattering  notice: 


298.  REFERENCES    TO    REORGANIZED    CHURCH. 

"    'COME    TO    COUNCIL    BLUFFS. 

"  'At  Logan  tomorrow  the  Latter  Da\  Saints  will 
decide  upon  the  next  place  of  meeting  for  next  year. 
About  fifteen  thousand  people  attended  the  meeting  at 
Logan,  and  it  will  be  seen  that  the  city  that  secures  the 
meeting  captures  a  big  prize.  Council  Bluffs  will  make 
an  effort  to  have  the  next  meeting  held  here.  The 
Chautauqua  grounds  are  especially  fitted  for  such  and 
the  city  could  easily  care  for  this  large  assemblage. 
The  people  of  Council  Bluffs  will  gladly  welcome  them 
and  the  Globe  bespeaks  for  them  a  generous  and  kind 
treatment  in  the  event  of  their  coming.  The  Latter 
Day  Saints  can  rest  assured  that  if  they  honor  Council 
Bluffs  by  holding  their  next  annual  reunion  here,  and  it 
is  an  honor  to  the  city  to  be  the  scene  of  the  meeting  of 
such  a  body  of  respectable  ciiizens,  they  will  be  given 
the  best  of  treatment.'  " — Herald 

'♦Many  are  the  agencies  that  together  are  shaping 
the  future  of  the  great  civilization  now  centering  in  this 
Garden  Valley  of  the  world.  Silent  and  unnoticed  are 
the  forces  moving  into  position  for  the  final  fulfillment 
of  our  destiny  as  a  nation."  *   * 

"By  disintegration  the  Latter  Day  Saints  found 
themselves  separated  from  the  polygamous  Mormons 
and  left  to  develop  into  a  moral  civilizing  force  in  the 
fertile  valleys  where  Mormonism  first  found  foothold, 
while  the  evil  portion  went  on  to  its  rapid  rise  to  power 
and  even  more  rapid  fall  to  pieces.  *  *  These  Latter 
Day  Saints  in  camp  in  our  country  for  their  annual 
harvest  of  souls,  point  with  pride  to  their  open  creed  as 
evidence  of  their  true  Christian  spir^  and  the  world 
cannot  but  say:  'Ye  have  done  well,  abide  with  us.' 
Their  devotions  are  genuine.      Their  moral  lives  of  the 


REFERENCES    TO    REORGANIZED    CHURCH.  299. 

best.  riifir  presses  are  messengers  bearing  good  tid- 
ings. Their  loyalty  leeds  them  to  place  the  national 
colors  over  their  holy  altars.  It  is  well.  *  *  Tried  by 
these  signs  the  Latter  Day  Saints  are  worthy  of  a  wel- 
come as  one  of  the  forces  that  will  at  all  times  hold 
high  the  starry  banner,  honor  the  powers  that  in  creat- 
ing it  gave  them  a  home  where  freedom  of  conscience 
is  the  keystone  of  all  liberty,  of  all  Christianity,  and  of 
all  civilization.'' — Editorial,  Missouri  Valley  News. 

"The  Reunion  of  the  Latter  Day  Saint  Church  ended 
yesterday.  This  has  been  the  largest  ever  held  here 
and  has  been  very  successful,  a  large  number  being 
received  into  the  church  by  baptism.  It  was  decided 
to  hold  it  here  next  year,  which  will  be  the  fourth 
reunion  at  this  place.  The  fact  that  the  vote  locating 
it  here  for  1893  was  almost  unanimous,  speaks  well  for 
Logan,  and  that  Logan  people  wished  to  have  them 
come  for  the  fourth  successive  meeting,  speaks  well  for 
the  people  who  attend  the  reunions.  The  fact  is,  it 
would  be  impossible  to  have  a  more  quiet,  devout 
assemblage  than  has  occupied  the  grove  on  the  hill  for 
the  last  sixteen  days." — Iowa  State  Register,  Oct.  ry, 
1892. 

"The  World  Reunion  of  the  Latter  Day  Saints 
closed  Sunday  night  [16],  taking  their  departure  for 
their  homes  on  Monday.  This  has  been  an  exceedingly 
pleasant  gathering  to  them.  Their  leaders  have  been 
with  them,  their  most  eloquent  preachers  have  addressed 
them,  and  the  meeting  has  been  the  longest  and  largest 
ever  held.  The  remembrance  of  the  reunion  of  1892 
will  be  long  cherished.  No  better  meeting  will  ever  be 
held.  For  sixteen  days  the  interest  was  kept  up  and 
the  last  Sunday  found  the  tent  well  filled,  every   space 


300.  REFERENCES    TO    REORGANIZED    CHURCH. 

occupied.  The  attendance  was  about  as  large  as  at 
any  time  during  the  meeting.  .Eighty  four  joined  the 
church  by  baptism.  On  Friday  last  the  vote  was  taken 
by  the  church  members  on  the  question  of  locating  the 
reunion  for  1893.  By  nearly  a  unanimous  vote  it  was 
decided  to  hold  it  at  Logan.  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa, 
Warrensburg  and  Clinton,  Missouri,  and  Piano,  Illinois, 
were  Logan's  competitors,  but  when  Logan's  proposi- 
tion to  do  just  the  same  in  1893  as  was  done  this  year, 
was  presented,  the  other  places  were  not  in  it.  Logan 
has  carried  out  every  agreement  with  strict  fidelity  and 
it  is  a  well  recognized  fact  that  even  more  than  the  con- 
tractj:alled  for  has  been  done." — Logan  Observer. 


T^J^I^ir     III. 


COMPENDIOM  OF  EVIDENCE. 


Joseph  Smith  Exonerated. 


CHAPTER  I. 


CHICAGO  TIMES  EDITORIAL.— JOSIAH  QUIN- 

CY  AND  DR.    FOSTER  SPEAK.— DANITES 

DENOUNCED  BY   JOSEPH  SMITH. 

JOSEPH    SMITH,     FOUNDER    OF    THE     LATTER    DAY     SAINTS. 

The  Chicago  Times  of  February  20th,  1889,  said 
editorially:  "Do  people  in  general  want  to  know  the 
truth  about  Joseph  Smith,  the  founder  of  the  sect  which 
styles  itself  the  'Latter  Day  Saints,'  and  the  origin  of 
the  book  which  they  claim  supplements  the  Old  and 
New  Testaments?  Apparently  they  do  not.  *  *  It  is 
fair  to  presume  that  few  of  these  persons  ever  read  any 
of  the  publications  of  the  'Saints,'  or  ever  attended  any 
of  their  meetings." 


302.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

Time  on  its  eternal  march  must  yet  exonorate 
Joseph  Smith  as  it  did  Wesley  who  was  also  calumniated 
in  his  day  by  all  classes. 

HOW    WESLEY    WAS    USED    IN    HIS    DAY ! 

"March  2,  1891,  is  the  centenary  of  the  death  of 
John  Wesley.  Many  biographies  of  him  have  been 
written,  and  the  minutest  incidents  of  his  life  are  famil- 
iar to  the  members  of  the  religious  community  who  are 
called  by  his  name.  Others  are  far  less  acquainted 
with  his  personality,  and  may  not  be  sorry  to  be 
reminded  what  manner  of  man  he  was.    *   * 

"We  might  think  it  strange  that  the  desire  to  preach 
the  gospel  of  Christ  should  invoke  such  deadly  opposi 
tion,  alike  of  the  so-called  respectable  and  religious 
classes,  and  of  the  rude  and  ignorant  multitude.  Yet 
so  it  was.  *  *  Every  form  of  opposition,  we  are  told, 
was  tried  against  him.  'Mill  dams  were  let  out;  church 
bells  were  jangled;  drunken  fiddlers  and  ballad  singers 
were  hired;  organs  pealed  forth;  drums  were  beaten;' 
street- vendors,  clowns,  drunken  fops,  and  Papists  were 
hired,  and  incited  to  brawl  or  blow  horns,  so  as  to 
drown  his  voice.  He  was  struck  in  the  face  with  sticks^ 
he  was  cursed  and  groaned  at,  pelted  with  stones, 
beaten  to  the  ground,  threatened  with  murder,  dragged 
and  hustled  hither  and  thither  by  drinking,  cursing, 
swearing,  riotous  mobs,  who  acted  the  part  of  judge, 
jury  and  executioner.  'Knock  him  down  and  kill  him 
at  once,'  was  the  shout  of  the  brutal  roughs  who 
assaulted  him  at  Wednesbury.  On  more  than  one 
occasion,  a  mad  or  a  baited  bull  was  driven  into  the 
midst  of  his  assemblies;  the  windows  of  the  houses  in 
which  he  stayed   were  broken,  and  rioters   burst  their 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  303. 

way  even  into  his  private  rooms.  'The  men,'  says  Dr. 
Taylor,  'who  commenced  and  continued  this  arduous 
service — and  they  were  scholars  and  gentleman — dis- 
played a  courage  far  surpassing  that  which  carries  the 
soldier  through  the  hailstorm  of  the  battle-field.  Ten 
thousand  might  more  easily  be  found  who  would  con- 
front a  battery  than  two,  who,  with  the  sensitiveness  of 
education  about  them,  could  (in  that  day)  mount  a 
table  by  the  roadside,  give  out  a  Psalm,  and  gather  a 
mob.' 

"III.  To  face  all  this,  and  to  face  it  day  after  day, 
and  year  by  year,  in  England,  in  Scotland,  in  Wales, 
in  Cornwall,  in  Ireland,  required  a  supreme  bravery, 
and  persistence.  Yet  it  needed  even  greater  courage 
to  meet  hurricanes  of  abuse,  and  tornadoes  of  slander. 
Wesley  had  to  face  this  also  on  all  sides.  The  most 
popular  actors  of  the  day  held  him  up  to  odium  and 
ridicule  in  lewd  comedies.  Reams  of  calumny  were 
written  against  him;  shoals  of  pamphlets,  full  of  viru- 
lence and  falsehood,  were  poured  forth  from  the  press. 
The  most  simple,  the  most  innocent,  the  most  generous 
of  men,  he  was  called  a  smuggler,  a  liar,  an  immoral  and 
designing  intriguer,  a  Pope,  a  Jesuit,  a  swindler,  the 
most  notorious  hypocrite  living.  The  clergy,  I  grieve 
to  say,  led  the  way.  Rowland  Hill  called  Wesley  'a 
lying  apostle,  a  designing  wolf,  a  dealer  in  stolen  wares,' 
and  said  that  he  was  'as  unprincipled  as  a  rook,  and  as 
silly  as  a  jackdaw,  first  pilfering  his  neighbor's  plumage, 
and  then  going  proudly  forth  to  display  it  to  a  laugh- 
ing world.'  Augustus  Toplady  said,  among  floods  of 
other  and  worse  abuse,  that  'for  thirty  years  he  had 
been  endeavoring  to  pialm  on  his  credulous  followers 
his    pernicious   doctrines,    with   all   the   sophistry   of  a 


304.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

Jesuit,  and  the  dictatorial  authority  of  a  Pope;'  and 
described  him  as  'the  most  rancorous  hater  of  the  gos- 
pel system  that  ever  appeared  in  England/  Bisho]) 
Lavington,  of  Exeter,  denounced  the  iMethodists  as  a 
dangerous  and  presumptuous  sect,  animated  with  an 
enthusiastical  and  fanatical  spirit,  and  said  that  they 
were  'either  innocent  madmen  or  infamous  cheats.'  " — 
Archdeacon  Farrar,  D.  D  ,  in  The  Contemporary 
Review. 

JOSEPH    SMITH    AT    NAUVOO. 

From  figures  of  the  past.  From  the  leaves  of  old 
journals,  page  376,  by  Josiah  Quincy,  Class  of  Harvard 
College,  1821,  published  at  Boston,  Massachusetts,  by 
Messrs.  Roberts  Brothers,  1883. 

*'It  is  by  no  means  improbable  that  some  future 
text  book,  for  the  use  of  generations  yet  unborn,  will 
contain  a  question  something  like  this:  What  histori- 
cal American  of  the  nineteenth  century  has  exerted  the 
most  powerful  influence  upon  the  destinies  of  his  coun- 
trymen! And  it  is  by  no  means  impossible  that  the 
answer  to  that  interrogatory  may  be  thus  written: 
Joseph  Smith  the  Mormon  Prophet.  And  the  reply, 
absurd  as  it  will  doubtless  seem  to  most  men  now  liv- 
ing, may  be  an  obvious  commonplace  to  their  descend- 
ants. History  deals  in  surprises  and  paradoxes  quite 
as  startling  as  this.  The  man  who  established  a  religion 
in  this  age  of  free  debate,  and  who  was  and  is  today, 
accepted  by  hundreds  of  thousands  as  a  direct  emissary 
from  the  Most  High,  such  a  rare  human  being  is  not  to 
be  disposed  of  by  pelting  his  memory  with  unsavory 
epithets.  Fanatic,  imposter,  charlatan,  he  may  have 
been,  but  these  hard  names  furnish  no  solution  to  the 
problem  he  presents  to  us.      Fanatics  and  imposters  are 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  305. 

living  and  dying  every  day,  and  their  memory  is  buried 
with  them.  But  the  wonderful  influence  which  this 
founder  of  religion  exerted  and  still  exerts,  throws  him 
into  relief  before  us,  not  as  a  rogue  to  be  criminated, 
but  as  a  phenomenen  to  be  explained.  *  *  Joseph 
Smith  claiming  to  be  an  inspired  teacher,  faced  adver 
sity  such  as  few  men  have  been  called  to  meet,  enjoyed 
a  brief  season  of  prosperity  such  as  few  men  ever 
attained,  and  finally,  forty-three  days  after  I  visited  and 
saw  him,  went  cheerfully  to  a  martyr's  death.  A  fine 
looking  man,  is  what  the  passer-by  would  instinctively 
have  murmured  upon  meeting  the  remarkable  individual 
who  had  fashioned  the  mold  upon  which  was  to  be 
shaped  the  feelings  of  so  many  thousands  of  his  fellow 
mortals.  But  Smith  was  more  than  this,  and  one  could 
not  resist  the  impression  that  capacity  and  resource 
were  natural  to  his  stalwart  person.  I  have  already 
mentioned  the  resemblance  he  bore  to  Elisha  R.  Potter, 
of  Rhode  Island,  whom  I  met  in  Washington  in  1826. 
The  likeness  was  not  such  as  would  be  recognized 
in  a  picture,  but  rather  one  that  would  be  felt  in  a 
grave  emergency.  Of  all  men  I  have  met,  these  two 
seemed  the  best  endowed  with  that  kingly  faculty  which 
directs,  as  by  intrinsic  right,  the  feeble  or  confused 
souls  who  are  looking  for  guidance.   *  * 

"On  the  right  hand,  as  we  entered  the  house,  was 
a  small  and  very  comfortable,  or  comfortless  looking 
bar  room,  all  the  more  comfortless,  perchance,  for  it« 
being  a  dry  bar  room,  as  no  spirituous"  liquors  of  any 
kind  were  permitted  at  Nauvoo.   *  * 

"Polygamy,  it  must  be  remembered,  formed  no 
part  of  the  alleged  revelations  upon  which  the  social 
life  at  Nauvoo  was  based." 


306.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

R.     D.     FOSTER'S     TESTIMONY. 

"LoDA,  111.,  Feb.  14th,    1874. 
''Joseph  Smith,  President  of  the  Church  of  Jesus 

Christ  of  Latter  Day  Saints,  Piano,  Illinois. 
"Dear  Sir: — Accept  my  sincere  thanks  for  the 
favors  that  came  to  hand  this  day,  by  mail,  namely,  a 
copy  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  and  a  copy  of  Parley  P. 
Pratt's  Voice  of  Warning,  as  well  as  your  very  welcome 
letter  with  your  photograph  enclosed;  the  same  now  occu- 
pies a  page  in  my  daughter's  album  and  is  very  highly 
appreciated.  Next  in  order  comes  many  familiar 
names  that  you  enumerate  as  co-workers  in  advancing 
the  cause  of  gospel  truth.  While  reading  them  over  I 
was  carried  back  some  thirty  odd  years,  and  many 
incidents  of,  or  about  that  period  were  made  vivid  in 
my  memory;  scenes  that  occurred  when  you  was  quite 
a  little  boy  and  I  was  in  the  prime  of  manhood.  One 
particular  circumstance  I  will  mention,  as  it  appears  to 
me  to  be  incontrovertible  evidence  of  the  fact  that  your 
father  was  no  false  pretender,  but  that  he  was  a  true 
prophet  of  the  living  God.  I  was  practicing  my  pro- 
fession in  Kingston,  Illinois,  in  the  year  1837,  and 
boarding  with  a  Benjamin  S.  Wilber,  a  member  of  the 
Latter  Day  Saints'  Church;  his  wife  was  also  a  member, 
and  a  most  excellent  little  lady  and  very  intelligent. 
In  the  fall  of  this  year  President  Joseph  Smith,  Sidney 
Rigdon,  Judge  Elias  Higbee  and  Porter  Rockwell,  came 
to  this  house  on  their  way  to  the  city  of  Washington,  in 
accordance  with  a  revelation  given  to  the  church  at 
Commerce,  (afterwards  Nauvoo),  through  Joseph 
Smith,  the  prophet,  to  lay  their  grievances  before  the 
President  of  the  United  States,  (Martin  Van  Buren), 
for   the   sufferings    they   underwent   in    Missouri,    from 


COiMPENDlUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  307. 

which  State  the  church  had  been  driven  by  mob  law, 
after  many  of  them  had  been  inhumanly  murdered,  and 
others  driven  from  the  lands  they  had  purchased  of  the 
United  States  government  in  that  state.  On  the  arrival 
of  this  company  at  Mr.  Wilber's  I  was  told  by  Joseph 
Smith,  the  prophet,  that  if  I  was  willing  to  obey  the 
will  of  God,  and  be  obedient  to  his  commandments,  I 
must  quit  my  practice  and  start  the  next  day  with  them 
to  the  city  of  Washington.    *   * 

*'I  have  many  incidents,  dottings  and  jottings, 
taken  during  our  journey,  one  of  which  I  will  mention. 
After  we  got  to  Dayton,  Ohio,  we  left  our  horses  in 
care  of  a  brother  in  the  church,  and  proceeded  by 
stage,  part  of  us;  and  the  same  coach  that  conveyed  us 
over  the  Allegheny  Mountains  also  had  on  board,  as 
passengers.  Senator  Aaron  of  Missouri,  and  a  Mr. 
Ingersol,  a  member  of  Congress,  either  from  New  Jersey 
or  Pennsylvania,  I  forget  which,  an  i  at  the  top  of  the 
mountain  called  Cumberland  Ridge,  the  driver  left  the 
stage  and  his  four  horses  drinking  at  the  trough  in  the 
road,  while  he  went  into  the  tavern  to  take  what  is  very 
common  to  stage  drivers,  a  glass  of  spirits.  While  he 
was  gone  the  horses  took  fright  and  ran  away  with  the 
coach  and  passengers.  There  was  also  in  the  coach  a 
lady  with  a  small  child,  who  was  terribly  frightened. 
Some  of  the  passengers  leaped  from  the  coach,  but  in 
doing  so  none  escaped  more  or  less  injury,  as  the  horses 
were  running  at  a  fearful  speed,  and  it  was  down  the 
side  of  a  very  steep  mountain.  The  woman  was  about 
to  throw  out  the  child,  and  said  she  intended  to  jump 
out  herself,  as  she  felt  sure  all  would  be  dashed  to 
pieces  that  remained,  as  there  was  quite  a  curve  in  the 
road,  and   on  one  side  the   mountain   loomed  up  hun- 


3o8.  COMPENDIUM  OF  evidp:nce. 

dreds  of  feet  above  the  horses,  and  the  other  side  was  a 
deep  chasm  or  ravine,  and  the  road  only  a  very  narrow 
cut  on  the  side  of  the  mountain,  about  midway  between 
the  highest  and  lowest  parts.  At  the  time  the  lady  was 
going  to  throw  out  the  child,  Joseph  Smith,  your  father, 
caught  the  woman  and  very  imperiously  told  her  to  sit 
down,  and  that  not  a  hair  of  her  head  or  any  one  on 
the  coach  should  be  hurt.  He  did  this  in  such  con- 
fident manner  that  all  on  board  seemed  spell-bound; 
and  after  admor^ishing  and  encouraging  the  passengers 
he  pushed  open  one  of  the  doors,  caught  by  the  railing 
around  the  driver's  seat  with  one  hand,  and  with  a 
spring  and  a  bound  he  was  in  the  seat  of  the  driver. 
The  lines  were  all  coiled  around  the  rail  above,  to  hold 
them  from  falling  while  the  driver  was  away;  he  loosed 
them,  took  them  in  his  hands,  and  although  those 
horses  were  running  at  their  utmost  speed,  he,  with 
more  than  herculean  strength,  brought  them  down  to  a 
moderate  canter,  a  trot,  a  walk,  and  at  the  foot  of  Cum- 
berland Ridge,  to  a  halt,  without  the  least  accident  or 
injury  to  passenger,  horse  or  coach,  and  the  horses 
appeared  as  quiet  and  easy  afterward  as  though  they 
never  run  away.  One  by  one  the  passengers  came 
along,  some  of  them  limping  badly,  others  bruised,  and 
some  of  them  swearing  about  the  driver  and  threaten- 
ing to  have  him  arrested,  etc. 

''At  last  the  driver  took  his  place  and  we  were  all 
going  along  nicely,  when  one  of  these  members  of 
Congress,  after  hearing  the  history  of  our  ride  and 
escape,  from  the  lady  on  board,  said  it  was  a  miracle, 
and  if  Joe  Smith  could  perform  such  a  miracle,  he 
would  then  believe  he  was  a  prophet  sent  from  God. 
This  was  Mr.  Ingersol.      Mr.  Smith  and  Sidney  Rigdon 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  309* 

were  both  traveling  incog.,  as,  if  their  real  names  had 
been  made  public  on  the  way,  especially  that  of  Mr. 
Smith,  we  should  have  been  very  much  annoyed  by  the 
inquisitive.  Little  did  those  gentlemen  think  that  Joseph 
Smith  was  the  identical  man  that  was  instrumental  in 
the  hands  of  God  in  saving  that  coach  load  of  human 
beings  from  a  terrible  death. 

''We  made  our  first  stop  at  Gadsby's  hotel,  in 
Washington  City.    *  * 

"We  staid  there  during  the  winter  of  1839  and  1840 
to  testify  before  committees  and  attend  to  all  we  could 
in  the  premises  and  in  the  meantime  to  preach  and  talk 
to  the  heads  of  the  nation  upon  the  mission  and  calling  of 
Mr.  Smith  in  this  latter  day.  Curiosity  was  on  tip-toe, 
until  many  believed,  and  some  were  baptized  and  went 
back  to  Nauvoo,  or  Commerce,  as  it  was  then  called. 

''Benjamin  Winchester  and  Elder  Barnes  were 
preaching  at  that  time  in  Philadelphia,  and  Mr.  Smith 
and  Mr.  Higbee  went  there  and  did  some  preaching, 
leaving  myself  in  the  city  of  Washington  to  take  care  of 
Mr.  Rigdon,  and  also  to  wait  upon  every  preacher  in 
the  city,  irrespective  of  his  church  organization,  and 
particularly  to  declare  unto  them  the  tidings  of  the  Lat- 
ter Day  Saints,  committed  to  this  generation  through 
Joseph  Smith,  Jr.,  and  to  warn  them  against  the  danger 
consequent  upon  its  rejection.  I  commenced  my  duties 
as  soon  as  I  had  any  time,  and  called  upon  all  the 
leaders  of  the  different  organizations  of  religion  in  the 
city.  As  a  general  thing  I  was  pretty  well  received  and 
very  kindly  treated.  *  *  j  thought  that  my  report 
would  be  uniformly  favorable,  but  I  had  one  more  visit 
to  make;  that  was  to  Geo.  C.  Cookman,  the  chief 
preacher  and  elder  of  the  other  branch  of  the  Methodist 


510.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

Church;  and  he  was  then  chaplain  of  the  United  States 
Senate,  On  my  introduction  he  was  rigid  as  marble 
and  cold  as  an  icicle.  He  was  proud,  tonguey  and 
arrogant  in  the  extreme.  *  *  I  begged  him  to  take  time 
and  consider  the  matter;  not  to  decide  hastily;  that  it 
was  unwise  to  give  a  decision  until  both  sides  were  fairly 
and  fully  before  him.  I  asked  him  for  his  church,  and 
told  him  that  either  Mr.  Smith  or  Mr.  Rigdon  would  be 
glad  to  illustrate  the  subject  any  time  before  him  and 
his  congregation.  He  said  that  my  impudence  could 
only  be  attributed  to  one  of  two  causes,  and  he  was 
constrained  to  believe  it  was  not  from  ignorance,  but 
was  intended  as  an  insult;  that  he  would  neither  let  me 
have  his  church  nor  hear  anything  further  on  the  sub- 
ject, and  should  take  good  care  to  warn  his  brethren 
and  sisters  against  listening  to  any  such  blasphemy. 
With  this  he  opened  his  library  door,  conducted  me  to 
the  outer  hall  door,  and  refused  to  give  me  his  hand. 
I  reported  this  to  Mr.  Rigdon,  and  wrote  to  Philadel- 
phia to  Mr.  Smith  the  result  of  my  labors.  On  the  fol- 
lowing Sunday  this  same  George  C.  Cookman  preached 
m  his  church,  and  told  some  strange  tales;  that  he  had 
had  an  interview  with  Jo  Smith,  that  arch  imposter, 
and  that  the  doctrines  he  taught  were  very  irreligious 
and  inconsistent  with  Bible  truth;  that  he,  Smith,  did 
not  believe  in  the  Bible,  but  had  got  a  new  one,  dug  up 
in  Palmyra,  New  York;  and  that  it  was  nothing  but  an 
irreligious  romance,  and  that  Smith  had  obtained  it 
from  the  widow  of  one  Spaulding,  who  wrote  it  for  his 
own  amusement.  I  wrote  this  to  Mr.  Smith,  and  he 
said  there  must  be  some  preaching  in  Washington  to 
counteract  these  statements,  as  he  was  sure  God  had 
some  people  in  that  city.      We  first  got  an  upper   room 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  3 II, 

of. an  engine  house  to  speak  in,  but  half,  no,  not  a  quar- 
ter, of  the  people  could  get  in.  We  had  speaking  then 
in  the  open  air,  on  Pennsylvania  Avenue,  near  that 
place,  and  gave  out  that  there  would  be  further  services 
as  soon  as  a  room  could  be  obtained-  Before  night 
some  people  secured  the  use  of  Carusi's  saloon,  one  of 
the  largest  and  most  suitable  rooms  in  the  city,  outside 
the  capitol  building,  and.  at  night  there  was  held  ser- 
vice. A  great  many  of  the  members  of  Congress  and 
heads  of  departments  were  present,  as  well  as  Martin 
Van  Buren.  We,  of  the  committee  from  Illinois,  all 
took  the  speaker's  desk.  And  when  near  the  close, 
who  should  come  into  the  hall  but  Joseph  Smith  him- 
self. We  speedily  got  him  up  on  the  stand,  and  I  had 
the  honor  of  introducing  him  to  that  vast  audience. 
He  had  just  come  in  on  the  train  from  Philadelphia, 
and  was  tired,  but  he  arose  by  the  invitation  of  many 
who  called  for  him,  and  on  that  occasion  he  uttered  a 
prophecy,  one  of  the  most  wonderful  predictions  of  his 
life.  He  adverted  to  the  statements  made  by  this 
George  C.  Cookman,  declaring  them  to  be  wilfully  and 
wickedly  false,  and  that  if  he,  Cookman,  did  not  take 
it  back  and  acknowledge  that  he  had  dealt  falsely  of 
him,  his  people,  and  his  own  congregation,  also  that  he 
must  turn  and  preach  the  truth  and  quit  deceiving  the 
people  with  fables,  he  should  be  cut  off  from  the  face 
of  the  earth,  both  he  and  his  posterity.  And  he  said 
that  this  should  be  so  plainly  manifest  that  all  should 
know  it.  At  this,  many  gentlemen  took  out  of  their 
pockets  their  tablets  and  began  to  take  notes  of  the 
prophecy;  and  Mr.  Smith  noticing  them,  'Yes,'  said 
he,  'write  it  on  your  tablets;  write  it  in  a  book;  write 
it   in  your  memory;    for   as   sure    as    God  ever   spoke 


312.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE, 

by  my  mouth,  all  these  things  shall  come  to  pass.' 
^'Henry  Clay,  Felix  Grundy,  Tom  Benton,  John 
Q.  Adams  and  many  other  celebrated  characters  were 
present  at  this  time.  Now,  instead  of  Cookman  doing 
according  to  justice  and  truth,  he  became  more  virulent 
than  ever,  and  laid  all  the  /obstacles  in  our  way  that  he 
could  during  our  stay  in  the  city.  The  matter  appeared 
to  be  forgotten  by  many,  and  I  thought  often  upon  the 
subject,  having  taken  notes  also.  Soon  after  this  there 
was  an  extraordinary  excitement  in  the  religious  world, 
and  they  appointed  a  conference  of  all  orthodox  re- 
ligions to  assemble  in  England,  at  a  certain  time,  to 
adopt  measures  of  harmony  between  all  the  sects;  the 
United  States  were  invited  and  accepted  a  part  in  these 
proceedings  to  break  down  the  partition  wall  that  sepa- 
rated the  various  churches.  George  C.  Gookman  was 
elected  or  appointed  as  a  delegate  for  the  District  of 
Columbia  to  represent  his  views  on  the  subject,  stand- 
ing, as  he  did,  at  the  very  head  of  the  church,  and 
Chaplain  of  the  United  States  Senate.  Now  he,  being 
an  Englishman  by  birth,  and  his  family  in  suitable  cir- 
cumstances for  a  pleasure  trip,  at  the  appointed  time  he 
(Cookman)  thought  it  would  be  very  pleasant  to  take 
his  whole  family  with  him,  and  this  he  did.  Both  he, 
his  wife,  and  all  his  children  went  on  board  the  steam- 
ship 'President,'  and  neither  the  ship  nor  a  soul  is  left 
to  tell  what  was  their  sad  end.  But  the  prophecy  is 
fulfilled  to  the  letter,  and  the  words  uttered  on  that 
occasion  have  never  been  forgotten  by  me,  nor  I  pre- 
sume by  hundreds  of  others.  Had  Cookman  gone 
alone,  it  might  be  charged  to  chance,  but  why  was  it 
that  his  whole  family  were  so  suddenly  cut  off,  both 
root  and  branch! 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  3 1 3. 

•'This,  sir,  is  one  of  many  wonderful  evidences 
that  Joseph  Smith  was  as  much  a  prophet  as  Jonah, 
who  foretold  the  destruction  of  Nineveh;  or  Nahum, 
who  prophesied  concerning  the  present  locomotion  for 
traveling;  both  of  them  took  centuries  and  one  of  them 
thousands  of  years  for  their  fulfillment;  but  the  proph- 
ecy by  Joseph  Smith  on  George  C.  Cookman  has  been 
literally  fulfilled  in  the  shortest  possible  period;  and 
that  too  in  its  fullness,  beyond  the  possibility  of  ques- 
tion from  any  source.    *   * 

"I  will  tell  you  also  another  prophecy  that  Joseph 
Smith  uttered  in  my  presence,  that  has  been  proved 
true.  This  was  in  relation  to  Stephen  A.  Douglas.  He 
said  he  was  a  giant  in  intellect,  but  a  dwarf  in  stature, 
that  he  would  yet  run  for  President  of  the  United  States, 
but  that  he  would  never  reach  that  station;  that  he 
would  occupy  a  conspicuous  place  in  the  counsels  of  the 
nation,  and  have  multitudes  of  admiring  friends;  and 
that  in  his  place  he  would  introduce  and  carry  out  some 
of  the  most  gigantic  measures  in  the  history  of  the 
nation.  This  was  said  when  Douglas  was  Judge  in  that 
district  of  Illinois,  and  before  he  ever  went  to  Con- 
gress. Has  it  not  been  fulfilled?  Did  he  not  get 
Andrew  Jackson's  fine  remitted  by  law,  a  thing  that  was 
by  all  considered  impossible?  Did  he  not  introduce 
the  bills  for  the  covering  of  Illinois  with  railroads, 
without  one  cent's  expense  to  the  general  government? 
Under  his  management,  were  not  the  Illinois  bonds 
raised  from  a  condition  nearly  worthless  to  a  value 
nearly  par  with  currency?  Did  he  not  rule  in  and 
through  the  State  of  Illinois,  work  and  carry  out  its 
destiny  for  twenty  consecutive  years,  more  than  any 
and  all  other  men  together?     Was  he  not  always  one  of 


314-  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

the  greatest  men  in  the  Senate?  Did  he  not  do  more 
for  the  line  of  compromise  on  slavery  than  any  other 
one  man?  Did  he  not  say,  'and  cursed  be  the  ruthless 
hand  that  attempts  to  remove  it?'  Did  he  not  run  for 
President  and  get  defeated?  Did  he  not  take  the  most 
'active  part  in  removing  or  breaking  down  that  line  of 
compromise?  Let  the  history  of  Kansas  and  Nebraska 
tell  the  story!  Did  he  not  fulfill  his  destiny,  and  at  last, 
on  his  dying  bed,  bequeath  his  children  to  his  country, 
and  counsel  them  to  obey  the  laws  and  the  constitution? 
Did  he  not  utter  these  memorable  words  at  the  commence- 
ment of  the  rebellion,  'That  there  were  only  two  parties  in 
all  the  land;  the  one  he  called  Patriots,  the  other  Traitors?' 
Was  it  not  true?  Did  he  not  throw  his  adhesion  to  A. 
Lincoln  at  the  time  of  deep  trouble?  And  does  he  not 
now  occupy  an  honored  spot  in  the  memory  of  his 
many  friends,  and  a  sacred  spot  in  his  own  loved  city 
of  Chicago?  Yes,  this  prophecy  has  been  literally  ful 
filled  in  my  day,  and  I  bear  testimony  to  its  truth, 
when  compared  with  history.    *   * 

"I  know  something  about  some  of  the  leaders  at 
Salt  Lake  City,  and  to  my  sorrow  too,  as  many  of  them 
forgot  to  settle  claims  that  I  still  hold  against  them.  I 
and  my  whole  family  were  driven  from  the  city,  [of 
Nauvoo,  Author.]  my  property  confiscated,  and  thou- 
sands, yes,  tens  of  thousands  of  dollars  worth  of  my 
property  was  taken  and  sold,  and  I  was  defrauded  out  of 
the  whole  by  wicked  and  corrupt  men,  aided  by  the  head 
men  that  now  live  in  Salt  Lake  City.  The  records  of  my 
property  were  carried  away,  and  never  could  be  obtained, 
and  I  was  reduced  from  affluence  and  wealth  to  poverty 
by  their  means.  And  they  claim  to  have  done  all  these 
things  in  obedience  to  the  commands  and  will  of  God. 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  315. 

"With  considerations  of  very  kind  regards,  I  am, 
sir,  yours  for  the  truth. 

"Robert  D.  Foster." 
From  Saints'  Herald,  April  15th,  1875. 

Joseph  Smith,  speaking  of  his  angel  visitor  at  the 
time  of  his  early  experience,  said:  "He  called  me  by 
name  and  said  unto  me  that  he  was  a  messenger  sent 
from  the  presence  of  God  to  me,  and  that  his  name  was 
Moroni;  that  God  had  a  work  for  me  to  do,  and  that 
my  name  should  be  had  for  good  and  evil  among  all 
nations,  kindreds  and  tongues,  or  that  it  should  be  both 
good  and  evil  spoken  of  among  all  people." 

This  experience  occurred  September  21,  1823. 
See  Cowdery's  Letters,  Messenger  and  Advocate,  Kirt- 
land,  Ohio,  1834;  or  Pearl  of  Great  Price,  p.  49,  185 1. 
Though  only  in  his  fifteenth  year,  with  but  little  appar- 
ent promise  of  prominence,  this  has  been  most  graphi- 
cally fulfilled  as  a  first  prediction. 

When  Joseph  Smith  asked  God  in  fervent  prayer 
which  of  the  existing  churches  he  should  join,  he  was 
answered,  "do  not  join  any  of  them,  for  their  creeds 
are  all  wrong  and  an  abomination  in  my  sight."  Does 
the  following  confirm  it? 

"Rev.  J.  D.  Williamson  said  before  the  Presbytery 
at  Cleveland,  Ohio:  *To  suppose  that  those  Westminster 
divines  reached  the  high  water  mark  of  biblical  state- 
ment of  truth  is  to  my  mind  preposterous.  I  have  read 
and  reread  chapter  third  on  God's  eternal  decree,  and 
my  moral  sense  has  been  no  less  shocked  than  when  I 
first  read  the  confession.  I  find  also  that  the  idea  of 
God  which  this  chapter  presents  is  utterly  abhorrent. 
It  is  as  it  now  stands  a  chilling  document,    instead   of 


3l6.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

being  warm  with  the  love  of  God.'  " — Cleveland  Plain 
Dealer,  Oct.  8,  1889. 

''Rev.  T.  A.  Goodwin,  of  the  M.  E.  church,  said 
at  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  in  February,  1890:  'For  more 
than  seventeen  years  the  church  has  been  tinkering  at 
her  creeds  until  they  are  a  theological  hodge  podge,  in 
many  cases  widely  departing  from  the  faith  once  deliv- 
ered to  the  saints.  From  the  time  of  the  apostles'  creed 
to  this  day,  creed  building  and  repairing  has  been  a 
chief  occupation,  until  creeds  are  as  numerous  as  sands 
upon  the  sea  shore,  and  they  all  claim  to  be  in  harmony 
with  the  apostles'  creed  and  the  Bible  as  well.  But 
what  of  Methodism  and  some  other  isms?  For  nearly 
three  hundred  years  it  has  been  uncomfortably  quar- 
tered in  a  house  of  theological  patchwork.  The  whole 
needs  to  be  torn  down  and  reconstructed  from  cel- 
lar to  garret,  so  as  to  make  a  symmetrical  and  con- 
gruous structure,  consistent  with  itself  by  being  con- 
sistent throughout  with  the  Bible.'  "  This  exposes  the 
imperfections  of  that  creed,  and  of  the  societies  repre- 
sented at  that  particular  time. 

"The  St.  Louis  'Globe  Democrat'  of  March  3d, 
1890,  contains  the  following  from  Talmage  on  'Why  a 
new  creed  is  needed:'  'I  was  sorry  to  have  the  ques- 
tion disturbed  at  all.  The  creed  did  not  hinder  us  from 
offering  the  pardon  and  the  comfort  of  the  gospel  to  all 
men,  and  the  Westminster  Confession  has  not  interfered 
with  me  one  minute.  But  now  that  the  electric  lights 
have  been  turned  on,  the  imperfections  of  that  creed — 
and  everything  that  man  fashions  is  imperfect — let  us 
put  the  old  creed  respectfully  aside  and  get  a  brand  new 
one.  I  move  for  a  creed  for  all  our  denominations 
made  out  of  Scripture  quotations  pure  and  simple.     That 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  317. 

would  take  the  earth  for  God.  That  would  be  impreg- 
nable against  infidelity  and  Apollyonic  assault.  That 
would  be  beyond  hunman  criticism.  The  denomina- 
tion, whatever  its  name  be,  that  can  rise  up  to  that  will 
be  the  church  of  the  millennium,  will  swallow  up  all 
other  denominations  and  be  the  one  that  will  be  the 
bride  when  the  Bridegroom  cometh.'  " 

These  were  the  churches  Mr.  Smith  had  been  at- 
tending and  four  of  the  family  belonged  to  the  Presby- 
terian. Much  more  could  be  added,  but  this  fully  con- 
firms his  second  prediction. 

In  Book  of  Mormon,  2d  Nephi  12:6,  as  to 
what  the  Book  of  Mormon  would  be  called,  occurs 
this:  "A  bible,  a  bible,  we  have  got  a  bible,  and  there 
cannot  be  any  more  bible."  Though  the  believers  in 
the  book  protested  from  the  first  that  it  was  not  a  bible, 
it  has  been  so  called  and  is  yet,  Mormon  Bible,  Golden 
Bible,  etc  We  have  then  a  third  prediction  fulfilled. 
Those  in  Mr.  Foster's  testimony  in  the  preceeding 
pages  relative  to  Rev.  George  C.  Cookman  and  Stephen 
A.  Douglass  are  here  referred  to  as  a  fourth  and  fifth 
prediction  and  fulfillment. 

A     REVELATION     AND     PROPHECY     BY    THE     PROPHET,     SEER 

AND    REVELATOR,    JOSBPH    SMITH,     GIVEN 

DECEMBER    25TH,     1832. 

"Verily,  thus  saith  the  Lord,  concerning  the  wars 
that  will  shortly  come  to  pass,  beginning  at  the  re- 
bellion of  South  Carolina,  which  will  eventually 
terminate  in  the  death  and  misery  of  many  souls. 
The  days  will  come  that  war  will  be  poured  out  upon 
all  nations,  beginning  at  that  place:  for  behold,  the 
Southern  States  shall  be  divided  against  the  Northern 


3l8.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

States,  and  the  Southern  States  will  call  on  other  na- 
tions, even  the  nation  of  Great  Britain,  as  it  is  called, 
and  they  shall  also  call  upon  other  nations,  in  order  to 
defend  themselves  against  other  nations;  and  thus  war 
shall  be  poured  out  upon  all  nations. 

"And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  after  many  days,  slaves 
shall  rise  up  against  their  masters,  who  shall  be  mar- 
shalled and  disciplined  for  war. 

''And  it  shall  come  to  pass  also,  that  the  remnants 
who  are  left  of  the  land  will  marshall  themselves,  and 
shall  become  exceeding  angry,  and  shall  vex  the  Gen- 
tiles with  a  sore  vexation;  and  thus,  with  the  sword, 
and  by  bloodshed,  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  shall 
mourn;  and  with  famine,  and  plague,  and  earthquakes, 
and  the  thunder  of  heaven,  and  the  fierce  and  vivid 
lightning  also,  shall  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  be 
made  to  feel  the  wrath,  and  indignation,  and  chasten- 
ing hand  of  an  xA^lmighty  God,  until  the  consumption 
decreed  hath  made  a  full  end  of  all  nations;  that  the 
cry  of  the  Saints,  and  of  the  blood  of  the  Saints,  shall 
cease  to  come  up  into  the  ears  of  the  Lord  of  Sabaoth, 
from  the  earth,  to  be  avenged  of  their  enemies. 

"Wherefore,  stand  ye  in  holy  places,  and  be  not 
moved,  until  the  day  of  the  Lord  come;  for  behold  it 
cometh  quickly,  saith  the  Lord.  Amen." — "Pearl  of 
Great  Price,"  published  at  Liverpool,  England,  in  185  i. 

No  prophetic  utterance  was  ever  more  strikingly 
fulfilled.     This,  therefore,  is  a  sixth. 

Iowa  State  Register,  for  January  26th,  1894,  con- 
tained this: 

"MORMONS,    'LATTER  DAY  SAINTS,'  ETC. 

"Verona,  Michigan. — Please  answer  in  Sunday 
Register: 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 


319- 


"i.  Was  Joseph  Smith,  the  Mormon  leader, 
really  a  prophet? 

"2.      Was  he  at  any  time  convicted  of  a  crime? 

"3.  Is  there  any  difference  between  the  sects  call- 
ing themselves  'Latter  Day  Saints'  in  Utah  and  those 
who  go  under  the  same  name  ,and  have  their  head- 
quarters at  Lamoni,  Iowa? 

"4.  Have  the  Latter  Day  Saints  of  Lamoni  a 
special  permit  or  any  extraordinary  authority  from  the 
United  States  government,  in  other  words,  any  special 
privileges  which  other  churches  do  not  enjoy?      West. 

"Ans. — I.  He  claimed  that  gift,  and  made  some 
predictions,  which  were  startlingly  fulfilled  years  after- 
ward. 

"2.  He  was  arrested  between  fifty  and  seventy- 
five  times,  once  under  the  charge  of  ^murder,  treason, 
burglary,  arson,  and  larceny,'  but  was  never,  to  the 
best  of  my  knowledge,  convicted  of  any  of  these  crimes. 
He  was  in  jail  at  Carthage,  Illinois,  at  the  time  of  his 
assassination. 

"3.  The  main  difference  between  the  'Latter  Day 
Saints'  of  Utah  and  those  of  Iowa  is  that  the  latter  nev- 
er practiced  polygamy.  The  Iowa  branch  is  under  the 
leadership  of  a  son  of  'Joseph  the  Prophet,'  and  is 
known  as  'The  Reorganized  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter  Day  Saints.'  " 

The  court  records  would  show  it  if  Mr.  Smith  had 
been  convicted  of  crime,  and  it  would  h^fve  been  pub- 
lished all  over  the  world.  His  murderers  knew  the 
just  operation  of  law  would  again  exonerate  him,  and 
so  they  dyed  their  hands  in  his  innocent  blood. 

Of  the  Danite  Band  Abomination  Joseph  Smith 
wrote  October   1838: 


320.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

'•When  a  knowledge  of  Avard's  rascality  came  to 
the  Presidency  of  the  Church,  he  was  cut  off  from  the 
Church,  and  every  means  used  to  destroy  his  influence, 
at  which  he  was  highly  incensed,  and  went  about  whis 
pering  his  evil  insinuations,  but  finding  every  effort  un- 
availing, he  again  turned  conspirator,  and  sought  to 
make  friends  with  the  mob. 

*'And  here  let  it  be  distinctly  understood,  that 
these  companies  of  tens  and  fifties  got  up  by  Avard, 
were  altogether  separate  and  distinct  from  those  com- 
panies of  tens  and  fifties  organized  by  the  brethren  for 
self  defense,  in  case  of  an  attack  from  the  mob,  and 
more  particularly  that  in  this  time  of  alarm  no  family 
or  person  might  be  neglected;  therefore,  one  company 
would  be  engaged  in  drawing  wood,  another  in  cutting 
it,  another  in  gathering  corn,  another  in  grinding,  an- 
other in  butchering,  another  in  distributing  meat,  etc., 
so  that  all  should  be  employed  in  turn,  and  no  one  lack 
the  necessaries  of  life.  Therefore,  let  no  one  hereafter, 
by  mistake  or  design,  confound  this  organization  of  the 
Church  for  good  and  righteous  purposes,  with  the 
organization  of  the  Danites,  of  the  apostate  Avard, 
which  died  almost  before  it  had  an  existence." 

Joseph,  on  page  025,  says  further,  that  Avard, 
who  was  taken  into  the  camp  of  the  mob,  Friday, 
October  2d,  1838,  "told  them  that  Daniteism  was  an  order 
of  the  Church,  and  by  his  lying  tried  to  make  the 
Church  a  scape  goat  for  his  sins." 

When  in  Liberty  jail,  Missouri,  December  i6th, 
1838,  Joseph  wrote  to  the  Church,  and  said  of  Dr. 
Avard,  "We  have  learned  also  since  we  have  been  in 
prison  that  many  false  and  pernicious  things,  which 
were  calculated  to  lead  the  Saints  astray   and   do  great 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 


321. 


injury,  have  been  taught  by  Dr.  Avard,  who  has  repre- 
sented them  as  coming  from  the  Presidency;  and  we 
have  reason  to  fear  that  many  other  designing  and  cor- 
rupt characters,  like  unto  himself,  have  taught  many 
things  which  the  Presidency  never  knew  of  until  after 
they  were  made  prisoners,  which,  if  they  had  known, 
they  would  have  spurned  them  and  their  authors  as 
as  they  would  a  serpent. 

"Thus  we  find  that  there  have  been  frauds,  secret 
abominations,  and  evil  works  of  darkness  going  on, 
leading  the  minds  of  the  weak  and  unwary  into  con- 
fusion and  distraction,  and  all  of  which  have  been  en- 
deavored to  be  palmed  upon  the  Presidency,  who  were 
ignorant  of  these  things  which  were  practiced  upon  the 
Church  in  our  name." — Times  and  Seasons  Vol.  i, 
Millenial  Star,  Vol.  16,  p.  459. 

"Joseph  Smith  always  denied  that  he  had  in  any 
way  authorized  the  formation  of  the  Danite  band;  and 
in  fact,  in  public  he  repeatedly  repudiated  them  and 
their  deeds  of  violence.  *  *  The  outrages  committed 
by  these  Danites,  and  others  like  them,  caused  the  ex- 
pulsion of  the  Saints  from  Missouri." — Ana  Eliza,  Wife 
No.  19,  p.  48. 


322.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE, 


CHAPTER   II. 

COL.   PITCHER  AND  GEN.    DONIPHAN   SPEAK 

OF  TIMES  AND  SCENES  IN  MISSOURI. 

—EXPULSION  DOCUMENT  OF 

1833    AND     1838. 

MORMON      HISTORY. 

"Of  the  many  pioneer  citizens  of  Jackson  county, 
Missouri,  who  were  present  and  took  part  in  the  Mor- 
mon difficulties  of  the  memorable  year  of  1833,  but  few 
now  live.  It  is,  however,  fortunate  for  the  historian 
that  a  few  yet  remain  to  relate  the  story  of  the  events 
of  those  troublous  times,  nearly  half  a  century  ago,  as 
they  occurred,  without  prejudice.  Among  the  very  few 
of  the  pioneers  still  living  is  Col.  Thomas  Pitcher,  of 
Independence,  who  has  been  a  citizen  of  Jackson 
county  for  most  fifty- five  years,  and  who,  during  the 
troubles  of  1833,  was  a  colonel  of  the  state  militia,  and 
took  a  prominent  part  in  all  of  the  events  of  the  early 
history  of  the  county.  Knowing  these  facts,  a  Journal 
representative  at  Independence  was  sent  to  Col.  Pitcher 
to  interview  him  upon  the  Mormon  history  of  Jackson 
county.  After  learning  the  object  of  the  visit,  the 
colonel  lighted  his  pipe  and  related  the  following  facts: 
I  came  to  Jackson  county,  in'the  month  of  November, 
1826,  and  located  four  miles  southwest  of  Indepen- 
dence.     The  Mormon   immigration  to  the  county  com- 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  323. 

menced  in  the  fall  of  1830,  and  continued  until  the 
autumn  of  1832.  During  the  first  two  years  of  their 
residence  in  the  county,  they  and  the  citizens  got  along 
together  very  peaceably,  and  no  one  had  any  thought 
of  a  difficulty  until  the  spring  of  1833.  In  the  latter 
part  of  183 1  the  Mormons  established  a  newspaper  in 
Independence,  called  the  'Morning  and  Evening  Star,' 
which  was  edited  by  one  W.  W.  Phelps.  This  paper 
published  the  so-called  revelations  of  Joseph  Smith  and 
other  leading  elders  of  the  church,  and  other  doctrines 
of  their  religion.  The  Mormons,  as  a  rule,  were  an 
ignorant  and  a  fanatical  people,  though  there  were  some 
very  intelligent  men  among  them.  The  troubles  of 
1833,  which  led  to  their  expulsion  from  the  county, 
were  originated  by  these  fanatics  making  boasts  that 
they  intended  to  possess  the  entire  county,  saying  that 
God  had  promised  it  to  them  and  they  were  going  to 
have  it.  This  of  course  caused  ill  feeling  toward  them, 
which  continued  to  grow  more  and  more  bitter,  until 
the  final  uprising  took  place.  One  Saturday,  about  the 
middle  of  July,  1833,  a  citizens'  meeting  was  held  at 
the  Court  House  in  Independence,  to  decide  what  was 
to  be  done  with  the  Mormons  who  were  pouring  into 
the  county,  and  to  devise  some  means  to  put  a  stop  to 
their  seditious  boasts  as  to  what  they  proposed  to  do, 
etc.  This  meeting  determined  to  destroy  the  Mormon 
printing  ofhce,  located  a  short  distance  south  of  where 
Chrisman  &  Sawyer's  bank  building  now  stands,  which 
determination  was  carried  into  effect  that  afternoon. 

"  'Did  the  citizens  give  the  Mormons  any  notice  of 
what  they  intended  to  do?' 

"  'No,  r  don't  think  they  gave  them  any  notice 
whatever,  but  when  they  had  determined  upon  destroy- 


324.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

ing  the  printing  office,  they  immediately  proceeded  to 
do  so.' 

"  'Did  the  Mormons  make  any  resistance?' 

"  'No,  they  did  not.  Some  of  them  tried  to  argue 
the  case,  but  it  was  of  no  avail.  The  printing  office 
was  a  two  story  brick  building,  and  I  don't  think  its 
destruction  occupied  over  an  hour.' 

"  'How  many  citizens  were  engaged  in  the  affair?' 

"  'I  suppose  there  must  have  been  over  a  hundred, 
altogether.' 

"  'Was  there  any  personal  violence  or  other  indig- 
nities offered  the  Mormons  at  that  time?' 

"  'Nothing  of  any  particular  consequence.  Sev- 
eral were  knocked  down,  but  as  a  general  thing  the 
Mormons  had  sufficient  discretion  to  keep  out  of  the 
way. '  *   * 

"  'Were  the  Mormons  allowed  to  dispose  of  their 
lands  and  other  property  before  they  left  the  county?' 

"  'No,  they  did  not  have  time,  but  afterwards  a 
great  many  came  back  and  disposed  of  their  lands  with- 
out molestation.' 

"  'Did  they  own  much  property  in  the  county?' 

"  'Yes,  they  owned  a  large  amount  of  land  all  over 
the  county,  and  a  great  deal  of  property  in  the  town  of 
Independence.'  *  * 

"  'Do  you  think,  colonel,  that  the  slavery  question 
had  anything  to  do  with  the  difficulties  with  the  Mor- 
mons?' 

"  'No,  I  don't  think  that  matter  had  anything  to 
do  with  it.  The  Mormons,  it  is  true,  were  northern 
and  eastern  people,  and  "free  soilers,"  but  they  did 
not  interfere  with  the  negroes  and  we  did  not  care 
whether  they  owned  slaves  or  not.'  *  * 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  3^5. 

"  'Did  the  Mormons  practice  or  advocate  polygamy 
while  in  Jackson  county?' 

*'  'No,  they  did  not.  Polygamy,  at  that  time,  had 
not  been  heard  of.' — Kansas  City  Journal."  Herald, 
June  15,  1881. 

"There  is  probably  no  man  in  Western  Missouri 
who  is  better  acquainted  with  the  various  causes  of  the 
difficulties  between  the  citizens  of  Jackson  and  Caldwell 
counties  and  the  Mormons  during  the  years  of  1833 
and  1838,  than  Gen.  Alexander  W.  Doniphan,  then  a 
resident  of  Clay  county,  but  now  of  Richmond,  Ray 
county,  Missouri,  and  there  is,  perhaps,  no  one  who 
took  such  an  active  part  in  the  events  of  those  years 
who  can  now  look  back  and  relate  the  history  of  these 
troubles  as  dispassionately  as  he  can.  In  view  of  these 
facts  a  representative  of  the  Journal  called  upon  Gen, 
Doniphan  at  his  rooms  at  the  Hudgins'  House  at  Rich- 
mond, for  the  purpose  of  interviewing  him  upon  the 
subject.  The  general,  after  learning  the  object  of  the 
visit,  seemed  very  willing  to  communicate  all  he  knew 
in  regard  to  the  history  of  the  Mormon  troubles,  and 
after  a  few  introductory  remarks,  related  the  following: 

'*  'I  came  to  Missouri  in  1830,  and  located  in  Lex- 
ington, where  I  lived  until  April,  1833,  when  I  removed 
to  Liberty,  Clay  county.  The  Mormons  came  to  Jack- 
son county  in  1830,  and  I  met  Oliver  Cowdery,  John 
Whitmer  and  Christian  Whitmer,  three  of  the  Elders, 
in  Independence,  during  the  spring  of  183 1.  Peter 
Whitmer  was  a  tailor  and  I  employed  him  to  make  me 
a  suit  of  clothes.' 

"  'What  kind  of  people  were  the  Mormons?' 

"  'They  were  northern  people,  who,  on  account  of 
their  declining  to  own  slaves  and  their  denunciation   of 


326.  COMPENDIUxM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

the  system  of  slavery,  were  termed  ''free  soilers. "  The 
majority  of  them  were  intelligent,  industrious  and  law 
abiding  citizens,  but  there  were  some  ignorant,  simple 
minded  fanatics  among  them,  whom  the  people  said 
would  steal.'  *  *  'Governor  Boggs  used  the  expression 
"that  the  Mormons  leave  the  state  or  be  exterminated," 
whereas  this  order  was  entirely  illegal.  I  paid  no  at- 
tention to  it.  In  my  report  to  Gov.  Boggs  I  stated  to 
him  that  I  had  disregarded  that  part  of  his  order,  as  the 
age  of  extermination  was  over,  and  if  I  attempted  to 
remove  them  to  some  other  state,  it  would  cause  addi- 
tional trouble.  The  Mormons  commenced  immediately 
after  this  to  move  to  Nauvoo,  Illinois,  and  I  know 
nothing  further  about  them.  While  the  Mormons  re- 
sided in  Clay  county,  they  were  a  peaceable,  sober,  in- 
dustrious and  law-abiding  people,  and  during  their  stay 
with  us  not  one  was  ever  accused  of  a  crime  of  any 
kind.' 

"Gen.  Doniphan  is  now  in  his  seventy- third  year, 
but  is  still  hale  and  hearty.  He  is  a  man  of  fine  appear- 
ance and  intellect,  and  is  well  known  and  highly 
respected  all  over  the  State.  He  has  resided  in  Rich- 
mond during  the  past  several  years.  His  statements  as 
given  above  may  be  relied  upon  as  strictly  the  truth  in 
every  particular.  There  are  a  few  old  citizens  still  liv- 
ing near  Independence  who  were  in  this  county  during 
the  troubles  of  1833,  whose  statements  will  be  given  in 
the  near  future. — Kansas  City  Journal."  Herald,  July 
I,  1881. 

Not  a  crime — not  even  a  personal  misdemeanor — 
of  any  kind  could  the  mob  find  to  charge  the  Saints  with. 

An  account  from  the  Western  Monitor,  of  Fayette, 
Missouri,   the   2d  of  August,    1833.        In    this  will  be 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  327. 

seen  the  alleged  grounds  and  all  the  reasons  the  mob 
could  trump  up  in  justification  of  their  barbarous  do- 
ing: 

*'mormonism! 

"At  a  meeting  of  the  citizens  of  Jackson  county, 
Missouri,  called  for  the  purpose  of  adopting  measures 
to  rid  themselves  of  the  sect  of  fanatics  called  Mor- 
mons, held  at  Independence  on  the  20th  day  of  July, 
1833;  which  meeting  was  composed  of  gentlemen  from 
every  part  of  the  county,  there  being  present  between 
four  and  five  hundred  persons. 

"The  meeting  was  organized  by  calling  Colonel 
Richard  Simpson  to  the  chair,  and  appointing  James 
H.  Flournoy  and  Col.  Samuel  D.  Lucas,  secretaries. 
It  was  resolved  that  a  committee  of  seven  be  appointed 
to  report  an  address  to  the  public,  in  relation  to  the 
object  of  this  meeting,  and  the  chair  named  the  follow- 
ing gentleman  to  wit:  Russel  Hicks,  Esq.,  Robert 
Johnson,  Henry  Chiles,  Esq.,  Colonel  James  Ham- 
bright,  Thomas  Hudspeth,  Joel  F.  Chiles,  and  James 
M.  Hunter.  The  meeting  then  adjourned,  and  con- 
vened again,  when  Robert  Johnson,  the  chairman  of 
said  committee,  submitted  for  the  consideration  of  the 
meeting,  the  following  address,  etc. : 

"This  meeting,  professing  to  act  not  from  the 
excitement  of  the  moment,  but  under  a  deep  and  abid- 
ing conviction  that  the  occasion  is  one  that  calls  for 
cool  deliberation,  as  well  as  energetic  action,  deem  it 
proper  to  lay  before  the  public  an  expose  of  our  pecul- 
iar situation  in  regard  to  this  singular  sect  of  pretended 
Christians,  and  a  solemn  declaration  of  our  unalterable 
determination  to  amend  it. 

"The  evil  is  one   that  no  one  could  have   foreseen. 


328.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

and  is  therefore  unprovided  for  by  the  laws,  and  the 
delays  incident  to  legislation  would  put  the  mischief 
beyond  remedy. 

"But  little  more  than  two  years  ago  some  two  or 
three  of  this  people  made  their  appearance  in  the  Upper 
Missouri,  and  they  now  number  some  twelve  hundred 
souls  in  this  county;  and  each  successive  autumn  and 
spring  pours  forth  its  swarm  among  us,  with  a  gradual 
falling  of  the  character  of  those  who  compose  them, 
until  it  seems  that  those  communities  from  which  they 
come  were  flooding  us  with  the  very  dregs  of  their  com- 
position. Elevated  as  they  mostly  are  but  little  above 
the  condition  of  our  blacks  either  in  regard  to  property 
or  education,  they  have  become  a  subject  of  much 
anxiety  on  that  part,  serious  and  well  grounded  com- 
plaints having  been  already  made  of  their  corrupting 
influence  on  our  slaves. 

"We  are  daily  told,  and  not  by  the  ignorant 
alone,  but  by  all  classes  of  them,  that  we,  (the  Gen- 
tiles), of  this  county  are  to  be  cut  off,  and  our  lands 
appropriated  by  them  for  inheritances.  Whether  this 
is  to  be  accomplished  by  the  hand  of  the  destroying 
angel,  the  judgments  of  God,  or  the  arm  of  power,  they 
are  not  fully  agreed  among  themselves. 

"Some  recent  remarks  in  the  Evening  and  Morn- 
ing Star,  their  organ  in  this  place,  by  their  tendency  to 
moderate  such  hopes  and  repress  such  desires,  show 
plainly  that  many  of  this  deluded  and  infatuated  people 
have  been  taught  to  believe  that  our  lands  were  to  be 
won  from  us  by  the  sword.  From  this  same  Star  we 
learn  that  for  want  of  more  honest  or  commendable 
employment,  many  of  their  society  are  now  preaching 
through  the  states  of  New  York,  Ohio,  and  Illinois,  and 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  329. 

that  their  numbers  are  increased  beyond  every  rational 
calculation,  all  of  vvhoui  are  required  as  soon  as  con- 
venient, to  come  up  to  Zion,  which  name  they  have 
thought  proper  to  confer  on  our  little  village.  Most  of 
those  who  have  already  come  are  characterized  by  the 
profoundest  ignorance,  the  grossest  superstition,  and 
the  most  abject  poverty. 

"Indeed,  it  is  a  subject  of  regret  by  the  Star 
itself,  that  they  have  come  not  only  to  lay  an  inher- 
itance, which  means  some  fifteen  acres  of  wild  land  for 
■each  family,  but  destitute  of  the  means  of  procuring 
bread  and  meat.  When  we  reflect  on  the  extensive 
field  in  which  the  sect  is  operating,  and  that  there  exists 
in  every  country  a  leaven  of  superstition  that  erhbraces 
with  avidity  notions  the  most  extravagant  and  unheard 
of,  and  that  whatever  can  be  gleaned  by  them  from  the 
purlieus  of  vice,  and  the  abodes  of  ignorance,  it  is  to 
be  cast  like  a  waif  into  our  social  circle,  it  requires  no 
gift  of  prophecy  to  tell  that  the  day  is  not  far  distant 
when  the  civil  government  of  the  country  will  be  in 
their  hands,  when  the  sheriff,  the  justices,  and  the 
county  judges  will  be  Mormons,  or  persons  wishing  to 
court  their  favor  from  motives  of  interest  or  ambition. 

''What  would  be  the  fate  of  our  lives  and  property 
in  the  hands  of  jurors  and  witnesses  who  do  not  blush 
to  declare,  and  would  not  upon  occasion  hesitate  to 
swear  that  they  have  wrought  miracles,  and  have  been 
the  subjects  of  miraculous  and  supernatural  cures;  have 
converse  with  God  and  his  angels,  and  possess  and 
exercise  the  gifts  of  divination  and  of  unknown  tongues, 
and  fired  with  the  prospect  of  obtaining  inheritances 
without  money  and  without  price,  may  be  better 
imagined  than  described.    *  * 


;^;^0.  COMPENDIUiM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

''One  of  the  means  resorted  to  by  them,  in  order 
to  drive  us  to  emigrate,  is  an  indirect  invitation  up,  like 
the  rest,  to  the  land  of  Zion.  True,  they  say  this  was 
not  intended  to  invite,  but  to  prevent  their  emigration; 
but  this  weak  attempt  to  quiet  our  apprehension  is  but 
a  poor  compliment  to  our  understandings.  The  article 
alluded  to  contained  an  extract  from  our  laws,  and  all 
necessary  directions  and  cautions  to  be  observed  by 
colored  brethren,  to  enable  them  upon  their  arrival  here 
to  claim  and  exercise  the  rights  of  citizenship.  Con- 
temporaneous with  the  appearance  of  this  article  was 
the  expectation  among  the  brethren  here,  that  a  consid- 
erable number  of  this  degraded  cast  were  only  awaiting 
this  information  before  they  should  set  out  on  their 
journey.  With  the  corrupting  influence  of  these  on  our 
slaves,  and  the  stench  both  physical  and  moral  that 
their  introduction  would  set  afloat  in  our  social  atmos- 
phere, and  the  vexation  that  would  attend  the  civil  rule 
of  these  fanatics,  it  would  require  neither  a  visit  from 
the  destroying  angel  nor  the  judgments  of  an  offended 
God  to  render  our  situation  here  insupportable.  True, 
it  may  be  said,  and  truly  no  doubt,  that  the  fate  that 
has  marked  the  rise  and  fall  of  Joanna  Southcote  and 
Ann  Lee  will  also  attend  the  progress  of  Joe  Smith,  but 
this  is  no  opiate  to  our  fears,  for  when  the  fabric  falls 
the  rubbish  will  remain. 

''Of  their  pretended  revelations  from  heaven — 
their  personal  intercourse  with  God  and  his  angels — the 
maladies  they  pretend  to  heal  by  the  laying  on  of  hands 
— and  the  contemptible  gibberish  with  which  they  habit- 
ually profane  the  Sabbath,  and  which  they  dignify  with 
the  appellation  of  unknown  tongues,  we  have  nothing  to 
say,  vengeance   belongs  to  God   alone.       But  as  to  the 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  33 1. 

Other  matters  set  forth  in  this  paper,  we  feel  called  on 
by  every  consideration  of  self-preservation,  good 
society,  public  morals,  and  the  fair  prospects,  that  if 
not  blasted  in  the  germ,  await  this  young  and  beautiful 
county,  at  once  to  declare,  and  we  do  hereby  most 
solemnly  declare: 

"That  no  Mormon  shall  in  future  move  and  settle 
in  this  county. 

"That  those  now  here,  who  shall  give  a  definite 
pledge  of  their  intention  within  a  reasonable  time  to 
remove  out  of  the  county,  shall  be  allowed  to  remain 
unmolested  until  they  have  sufficient  time  to  sell  their 
property  and  close  their  business  without  any  material 
sacrifice. 

"That  the  editor  of  the  Star  be  .required  forthwith 
to  close  his  office  and  discontinue  the  business  of  print- 
ing in  this  county;  and  as  to  all  other  stores  and  shops 
belonging  to  the  sect,  their  owners  must  in  every  case 
strictly  comply  with  the  terms  of  the  second  article  of 
this  declaration,  and  upon  failure,  prompt  and  efficient 
measures  will  be  taken  to  close  the  same. 

"That  the  Mormon  leaders  here  are  required  to 
use  their  influence  in  preventing  any  further  emigration 
of  their  distant  brethren  to  this  county,  and  to  counsel 
and  advise  their  brethren  hereto  comply  with  the  above 
requisition. 

"That  those  who  fail  to  comply  with  these  requisi- 
tions be  referred  to  those  of  their  brethren  who  have 
the  gifts  of  divination,  and  of  unknown  tongues,  to  in- 
form them  of  the  lot  that  awaits  them. 

"Which  address  being  read  and  considered,  was 
unanimously  adopted.  And  thereupon  it  was  resolved 
that  a   committee  of  twelve   be  appointed   forthwith   to 


332.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

wait  on  the  Mormon  leaders,  and  see  that  the  foregoing 
requisitions  are  strictly  complied  with  by  them,  and 
upon  their  refusal,  that  said  committee  do,  as  the  organ 
of  this  county,  inform  them  that  it  is  our  unwavering 
purpose  and  fixed  determination,  after  the  fullest  con- 
siderations of  all  the  consequences  and  responsibilities 
under  which  we  act,  to  use  such  means  as  shall  insure 
their  full  and  complete  adoption,  and  that  said  commit- 
tee, so  far  as  may  be  within  their  power,  report  to  this 
present  meeting.  And  the  following  gentlemen  were 
named  as  said  committee: 

''Robert  Johnson,  James  Campbell,  Colonel  Moses 
Wilson,  Joel  F.  Chiles,  Hon,  Richard  Fristoe,  Abner 
F.  Staples,  Gan.  Johnson,  Lewis  Franklin,  Russel 
Hicks,  Esq.,  Colonel  S.  D.  Lucas,  Thomas  Wilson,  and 
James  M.  Hunter,  to  whom  was  added  Colonel  R. 
Simpson,  chairman. 

'*And  after  an  adjournment  of  two  hours,  the 
meeting  again  convened,  and  the  committee  of  twelve 
reported  that  they  had  called  on  Mr.  Phelps,  the  editor 
of  the  Star,  Edward  Partridge,  the  bishop  of  the  sect, 
and  Mr.  Gilbert,  the  keeper  of  the  Lord's  storehouse, 
and  some  others,  and  that  they  declined  giving  any 
direct  answer  to  the  requisitions  made  of  them,  and 
wished  an  unreasonable  time  for  consultation,  not  only 
with  their  brethren  here,  but  in  Ohio. 

"Whereupon  it  was  unanimously  resolved  by  the 
meeting,  that  the  Star  printing  office  should  be  razed  to 
the  ground,  the  type  and  press  secured.  Which  resolu- 
tion was,  with  the  utmost  order,  and  the  least  noise  and 
disturbance  possible,  forthwith  carried  into  execution, 
as  also  some  other  steps  of  a  similar  tendency,  but  no 
blood  was  spilled  nor  any  blows  inflicted.       The  meet- 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  ;^^^. 

ing  then  adjourned  till  the  23d  inst.,  to  meet  again  to 
know  further  concerning  the  determination  of  the  Mor- 
mons. 

"Resolved  that  a  copy  of  these  proceedings  be 
posted  up  at  the  post  office  in  this  place  for  the  infor- 
mation of  all  concerneci;  and  that  the  secretaries  of 
this  meeting  send  copies  of  the  same  to  the  principal 
editors  in  the  eastern  and  middle  states  for  publication, 
that  the  Mormon  brethren  may  know  at  a  distance  that 
the  gates  of  Zion  are  closed  against  them — that  their 
interests  will  be  best  promoted  by  remaining  among 
those  who  know  and  appreciate  their  merits. 

Richard  Simpso?j,  Chairman 

S.  D.  Lucas,  )  ^^        .    • 

T    TT    t:,  y  Secretaries. 

J.    H.   TLOURNOY,   j 

Times  and  Seasons,  vol.  6,  pp  832,  833,  834. 

In  the  official  address  of  Major  General  Clark  to 
the  forces  driving  the  Saints  out  of  Missouri,  November, 
1838,  he  said:  '*It  now  devolves  upon  you  to  fulfill 
the  treaty  that  you  have  entered  into,  the  leading  items 
of  which  I  now  lay  before  you.  The  first  of  these  you 
have  already  complied  with,  which  is  that  you  deliver 
up  your  leading  men  to  be  tried  according  to  law. 
Second,  that  you  deliver  up  your  arms — this  has  been 
attended  to.  The  third  is  that  you  sign  over  your 
properties  to  defray  the  expenses  of  this  war — this  you 
have  also  done.  Another  thing  yet  remains  for  you  to 
comply  with — that  is,  that  you  leave  the  state  forthwith; 
and  whatever  your  feelings  concerning  this  affair,  what- 
ever your  innocence  it  is  nothing  to  me." 


334-  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 


CHAPTER    III. 

INTERVIEW     AT     PAINESVILLE,     OHIO,     AND 

LETTERS    OF    SAMUEL     MURDOCK.— 

INTERVIEW   OF    CITIZENS    OF 

PALMYRA,  NEW  YORK. 

FACTS    FROM    PAINESVILLE,     OHIO. 

''Pres.  J.  Smith,  Piano,  Illinois: 

"Dear  Sir: — One  week  ago  today  I  arrived  in 
this  city,  to  look  after  the  interests  of  the  Reorganized 
Church  in  its  action  in  the  state  courts,  to  recover  the 
possession  of  the  Kirtland  Temple  property,  in  Lake 
county.    *  * 

"So  far,  among  the  former  acquaintances  of  Joseph 
Smith,  Jr.,  I  have  failed  to  find  one  who  will  say  that 
he  was  not  a  good  citizen  and  an  honest  man.  'Joe 
Smith,'  say  they,  'was  an  honorable  man  and  a  gentle- 
man in  every  particular,  let  the  histories  say  what  they 
may.'  Now,  if  these  things  are  true,  history  greatly 
belies  the  man  and  in  the  eternal  fitness  of  things,  time 
must  correct  the  false  and  fickle  stories  and  vindicate 
his  memory.  My  information  is  derived  from  such 
men  as  Messrs.  Quinn,  Storm,  Burrows  and  Axtell,  who 
are  foremost  citizens  of  the  county.  These  parties  say 
that  among  some  of  the  fanatical  and  ignorant  there  is 
existing  great  prejudice  and  hatred  against  the  early 
Mormons,  and  I  have  found  in  Kirtland  two  persons 
who  are  terribly  bitter,  but   neither   of   these   had   any 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  335. 

acquaintance  with  the  parties  and  base  their  knowledge 
on  the  'stories  told'.  One  of  these  is  the  present  pastor 
of  the  Methodist  Church  in  Kirtland,  and  who  is  now 
under  the  charge  of  being  not  only  a  fanatic,  but  crazy, 
and  his  congregation  ask  his  removal;  the  other,  a  Mr. 
Harvey,  of  Kirtland,  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church, 
but  ignorant,  can  neither  read  nor  write,  and  abuses 
his  own  wife  for  differing  from  him  in  religion,  and 
teaches  his  children  to  abuse  their  mother. 

"As  a  sample  of  my  testimony  I  give  you  my  con- 
versation with  I.  P.  Axtell,  Esq.,  a  large  farmer  and 
director  in  the  First  National  Bank  of  Painesville  for 
many  years;  a  man  of  energy  and  experience,  and  as 
early  as  1844,  a  member  of  the  Whig  convention  at 
Baltimore,  which  nominated  Henry  Clay  for  President. 
The  conversation  was  as  follows: 

"Q. — When  did  you  come  to  this  county,  Mr. 
Axtell? 

"xA. — My  father  moved  here  with  his  family  in  the 
year  1830.      I  was  but  a  boy  then. 

"Q. — What  was  your  father's  business? 

"A. — He  was  a  Baptist  minister,  and  kept  a  hotel 
then. 

'•Q. — Did  you  know  Joseph  Smith? 

'•'A. — Yes,  sir.  I  have  seen  him  many  a  time;  he 
was  often  at  my  father's  house;  and  I  with  many 
young  people,  often  went  to  Kirtland  to  see  him  and 
his  people.  1  knew  his  father  also,  who  at  the  time  I 
knew  him  had  charge  of  the  Kirtland  Temple.  He 
took  me  with  others  through  the  Temple  at  one  time; 
he  appeared  to  be  a  fine  old  man. 

"Q. — When  did  your  father  become  acquainted 
with  Mr.  Smith? 


336.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

"A.--Ir>  about  six  weeks  after  he  came  to  the 
county  he  first  met  him;  he  went  out  of  his  way  one 
day  six  miles  to  see  Joseph  Smith  and  Sidney  Rigdon. 
He  said  he  found  them  in  Kirtland  township,  they  had 
been  there  but  a  short  time  and  occupied  a  small  log 
house.  He  found  them  to  be  quite  intelligent  men, 
and  he  said  pleasant  talkers,  and  quite  free  to  converse 
upon  their  religious  views,  which  at  that  time  was 
known  as  the  'new  sect.'  My  father  always  said  Joseph 
Smith  was  a  conscientious  and  upright  man. 

"Q. — Did  you  know  any  other  persons  of  the  new 
society? 

"A. — O,  yes,  a  great  many.  1  knew  Mr.  Pratt 
very  well.  He  was  a  smart  and  a  square  man  all 
around.  Those  men  were  neither  knaves  nor  rogues; 
that  is  my  opinion  of  them.  I  suppose  some  of  them 
may  have  been.  It  _was  just  as  in  all  other  bodies  of 
the  kind,  there  will  be  some  bad  ones,  but  I  don't 
know  of  any  that  were.  There  were  a  good  many 
stories  circulated  about  them  that  I  knew  to  be  false. 
At  one  time  an  ox  was  found  in  Kirtland  township, 
killed  and  skinned;  and  there  was  a  great  to  do  about 
the  Mormons  having  killed  it.  My  brother  was  sheriff 
at  the  time,  and  with  others  went  up  to  investigate  the 
matter,  and  he  says  that  there  was  not  the  least  evi- 
dence which  showed  that  the  Mormons  had  any  hand 
in  killing  the  ox.  Persons  around,  however,  who  hated 
their  religion  would  tell  that  they  did. 

"Q. — How  was  it  that  people  did  not  like  them? 
Were  they  not  good  citizens? 

''A. — Yes,  they  were  as  good  citizens  as  those  of^^ 
any  society.  It  was  the  fanatics  in  religion  that  tried 
to  drive  those  men  out.     There  were  a  great  many  con- 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  337. 

servative  men  in  our  county  at  that  time  who  held  these 
fanatics  back,  and  if  it  had  not  been  for  this  they  would 
have  gone  in  and  killed  them  all.  But  our  intelligent 
and  honorable  citizens  prevented  this. 

*'Q. — What  about  the  Kirtland  Bank  swindle? 
Mr.  Axtell.  you  are  a  banker,  and  know  how  that  was, 
do  you  not? 

"A. --Yes,  I  know  about  that  bank;  they  started 
in  Kirtland.  These  parties  went  into  the  banking  busi- 
ness as  a  great  many  others  in  the  state  of  Ohio  and 
other  states.  They  got  considerable  money  out  at  first, 
and  their  enemies  began  to  circulate  all  manner  of 
s  ories  against  them  and  as  we  had  a  great  many  banks 
then  that  issued  what  was  known  as  'wild-cat"  money, 
the  people  began  to  get  alarmed  at  so  many  stories, 
and  would  take  the  other  banks'  issue  instead  of  the 
Kirtland;  and  so  much  of  it  was  forced  in  at  once  that 
the  bank  was  not  able  to  take  it  up.  Had  the  people 
let  these  people  alone  there  is  no  reason  that  I  know 
of  why  the  Kirtland  bank  should  not  have  existed  to 
4his  time,  and  on  as  stable  a  basis  as  other  banks. 

"Q. — Then  you  think  it  was  the  fault  of  the 
enemies  of  the  bank  that  it  failed? 

"A. — Yes,  I  do;  and  it  was  not  the  only  one  that 
failed  either  by  a  good  many,  and  with  which  Smith 
had  nothing  to  do. 

"Q.--What  then  do  you  consider  the  prime  causes 
of  the  expulsion  of  the  Mormons  from  Kirtland? 

*'A.^ — The  ignorance  and  fanaticism  of  their 
accusers  did  it;  they  thought  public  sentiment  would 
tolerate  it  and  they  did  it.  The  same  as  Roger  Wil- 
liams was  driven  out  and  the  witches  burned  in  Mass- 
achusetts.      My  position   is   that   no   fanatic,  either  in 


^;^8.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

religion  or   politics,   should   be   permitted    to   hold    an 
office  of  trust  in  this  country. 

"The  above  is  a  fair  average  sample  of  the  testi- 
mony of  those  I  have  met  and  talked  with  as  to  the 
character  of  the  early  Mormons  in  this  county,  among 
those  who  lived  here  and  knew  these  people.  A  gen- 
tleman of  Willoughby,  this  county,  suggested  to  me, 
that  another  reason  was,  their  persecutors  wanted  their 
property,  and  said  he,  'They  got  from  them  thousands 
of  dollars  worth  too.'  After  canvassing  the  sentiment 
here  of  these  men,  I  feel  a  good  deal  like  Col.  R.  G. 
Ingersoll  when  he  offered  the  gold  for  the  evidence  of 
Tom.  Paine's  dying  declarations;  and  I  now  affirm  that 
if  any  of  the  great  newspapers  of  the  day^  like  the 
Chicago  Times,  Tribune  or  Inter-Ocean  wish  to  test 
the  truth  of  the  statements  and  publish  the  facts  by  a 
correspondent  through  their  columns;  I  will  undertake 
the  task  of  accompanying  their  correspondent  and  if 
the  general  integrity,  uprightness,  honesty  and  patriot- 
ism, of  these  men  are  not  maintained  by  the  evidence, 
I  will  forfeit  to  the  one  the  one  hundred  dollars  in 
gold.  A  letter  will  reach  me  at  any  time  directed, 
Glenwood,  Iowa. 

"Hastily,  I  am  very  respectfully  yours, 

"E.  L.  Kellev. 
"Painesville,  Ohio,  Feb.  19th,  1880." 

SAMUEL    MURDOCK   PROTESTS. 

"Elkader,  Iowa,  April   13th,  1893. 
"Editor  Dubuque  Daily  Times: 

"Dear  Sir:— In  your  article  on  the  Mormon 
Church  contained  in  your  daily  issue  of  April  12,  you 
say:  'It  was  founded  by  an  ignorant,  dissipated  mem- 
ber of  a  vicious  family  which  had  a   well-earned    repu- 


COMPENDIUM    OF    KVIDENX^E.  339. 

tation  of  being  thieves  and  drunkards,  etc'  Knowing 
.your  reputation  for  kindness,  fairness,  and  sympathy,  I 
do  not  believe  that  you  would  willfully  or  knowingly 
inflict  a  pang  or  a  pain  in  the  bosom  of  any  one  of  our 
fellow  creatures  unless  it  was  done  without  a  knowledge 
on  your  part  of  the  true  facts  in  any  case. 

'^I  have  no  more  sympathy  or  feeling  for  either 
branch  of  the  Mormon  Church  than  you  have,  but  I 
have  a  strong  sympathetic  feeling,  and  friendship  for 
some  of  the  Smith  family  who  are  still  living,  and  to 
whom  your  language  above  quoted,  does  great  injustice, 
and  I  also  know  ihat  when  you  hear  from  me  a  few 
facts,  your  kindness  will  prompt  you  to  repair  in  some 
manner  the  wrong  you  have  inflicted  upon  them. 

"Kirtland  is  situated  in  the  county  in  which  I  was 
raised  from  youth  to  manhood,  and  at  the  time  Smith 
and  his  Mormons  settled  there  I  was  nearly  a  man 
grown,  and  some  of  them  were  my  immediate  neigh- 
bors, with  whose  children  I  was  often  schoolmates,  and 
I  often  met  their  prophet,  Joseph  Smith,  although  I  was 
not  personally  acquainted  with  him.  I  was,  however, 
intimately  acquainted  with  Mr.  Cowdery,  one  of  his 
scribes,  and  to  whom  I  was  indebted  for  his  special 
kindness  to  me,  as  well  as  for  the  many  lessons  of  in- 
struction I  received  from  him  as  my  preceptor  in  the 
schoolroom,  and  a  Mormon  as  he  was,  I  shall  ever 
cherish  his  memory.  A  more  amiable,  generous,  kind- 
hearted  man,  I  have  not  met  since.  I  lived  among  the 
daily  talk  and  excitement  of  the  'New  Faith'  or  'Latter 
Day  Saints,'  as  they  were  sometimes  called  at  that  time. 
From  the  time  they  settled  in  my  county  until  they  left 
it,  I  must  say  that  during  all  that  time  I  never  heard 
Joseph   Smith  called  a  thief,   a  drunkard  or  a  vicious 


340-  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  -*^ 

man,  even  by  his  worst  enemies,  and  my  recollection  of 
him  to  this  late  day  is  that  he  was  a  tall,  graceful,  good- 
looking  man,  continually  wearing  a  smile  on  his  face  for 
everyone,  and  that  he  was  a  kind-hearted,  generous 
friend  and  companion,  and  that  it  was  his  winning  man- 
ners by  which  he  succeeded  more  than  anythingelse. 

"Dupe,  impostor,  crazy  fanatic,  were  the  common 
words  applied  to  him  by  the  Gentiles  of  these  days,  but 
never  thief,  drunkard,  or  vicious. 

"But  all  this  is  not  where  your  language  referred 
to,  cuts  the  deepest,  and  inflicts  the  most  pain,  for  this 
same  Joseph  Smith  has  a  brother,  the  Rev.  William  B. 
Smith,  who  is  one  of  the  old  pioneers  of  Clayton  county, 
and  who  is  still  living  among  us,  and  a  man  whom  I 
have  known  for  nearly  forty  years,  and  for  nearly  half 
of  that  time,  he  has  lived  within  a  stone's  throw  of  my 
dwelling,  and  I  do  know  that  the  citizens  of  Elkader, 
and  those  of  the  county  generally,  will  sustain  me  when 
I  say  that  there  is  not  a  single  stain  upon  his  character. 
A  kind,  honest,  just,  and  upright  man  is  his  life  long 
reputation  here. 

"He  has  preached  to  us,  lectured  to  us,  pro- 
nounced funeral  services  over  our  dead,  sat  upon  our 
juries,  mingled  in  our  conventions,  acted  as  chaplain 
on  our  national  holidays,  and  may  be  seen  mingling 
with  his  fellows  at  every  reunion  of  both  the  old  settlers 
and  the  G.  A.  R.,  and,  although  he  is  a  strong  defender 
of  his  brothers,  and  a  devoted  Mormon  of  the  anti- 
polygamy  sect,  yet,  unless  he  is  drawn  out,  no  one 
would  ever  know  from  any  of  his  public  or  private  talk 
that  he  was  a  Mormon.  When  the  first  gun  was  fired 
on  Fort  Sumpter  he  took  the  stump  to  arouse  the  peo- 
ple to  the  impending   danger,  and  then  shouldered  his 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  341. 

rifle,  bid  adieu  to  his  family,  enlisted  in  the  Union 
army,  and  when  the  war  was  over  came  home  with  an 
honorable  discharge.  He  has  raised  up  in  this  county 
a  bright  and  honorable  family,  all  of  whom  are  doing 
well,  and  not  one  of  whom  has  ever  caused  him  to 
blush,  and  it  is  here  again  where  the  language  of  your 
article  cuts  like  a  knife.  Deluded  as  they  were,  there 
was  among  the  early  Mormons  the  best  and  noblest  of 
mankind,  and  where  they  missed  it,  was  by  admitting 
among  them  without  knowing  it,  rascals,  horse  thieves, 
and  murderers,  and  then  defending  them  without  inves- 
tigation on  the  belief  that  the  charge  against  them  was 
Gentile  persecution. 

"Samuel  Murdock. 

"The  above  communication  was  inspired  by  an 
editorial  appearing  in  the  Times  the  date  stated.  There 
were  no  intentions  of  saying  anything  to  the  detriment 
of  those  of  the  faith  of  today,  and  what  was  said  of  the 
founder  of  the  sect  was  in  line  with  the  leading  encyclo- 
pedias, all  of  which  give  detailed  account  of  the  work 
of  Joseph  Smith  during  the  days  of  organizing  the  Mor- 
mon Church. — Editor  Times." 

citizens    of    palmyra,     new    YORK,     INTERVIEWED. 

Elders  W.  H.  and  E.  L.  Kelley,  having  visited  and 
interviewed  the  old  settlers  in  and  around  Palniyra, 
New  York,  reported  the  following  to  the  Saints'  Herald, 
regarding  what  they  learned  about  Joseph  Smith  and 
his  family  associations: 

"Here  is  where  they  lived,  and  where,  the  stories 
say,  lived  those  who  knew  of  their  bad  character,  etc. 
We  were  among  some  of  their  old  neighbors,  all  unbe- 
lievers in   the    faith   they  taught,    and   we   remembered 


342.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

some  of  the  names  of  the  parties  published  by  their 
enemies  as  knowing  facts  against  them,  and  determined 
to  "beard  the  hon  in  his  den,"  and  hear  the  worst,  let 
it  hurt  whom  it  would.  So  we  set  about  it  in  good 
earnest,  to  interview,  if  possible,  all  of  those  referred 
to  by  the  enemies  of  these  men,  as  having  a  knowledge 
of  them,  and  with  one  writing  during  each  interview, 
we  obtained  the  following  as  the  result: 

"Having  the  names  of  Messrs.  Bryant,  Booth,  and 
Reed,  obtained  from  a  published  communication  in  the 
'Cadillac  News,'  of  Michigan,  about  a  year  ago,  by 
Rev.  A.  Marsh,  of  that  place,  who  had  received  it  from 
a  brother  Rev.,  one  C.  C.  Thorn,  of  Manchester,  New 
York,  who  claimed  to  have  interviewed  the  above 
named  gentlemen,  and  obtained  from  them  wonderful 
revelations  about  the  Smith  family,  Cowdery,  etc.,  mak- 
ing Mr.  Bryant  to  say  that  Smith  was  'a  lazy,  drinking 
fellow,  loose  in  his  habits  every  way;'  and  Mr.  Booth  to 
say  that  their  reputation  was  'bad,'  and  that  Oliver 
Cowdery  was  'a  law  pettifogger,'  and  'cat's-paw  of  the 
Smiths,  to  do  their  dirty  work,'  etc.;  and  Mr.  Reed  to 
say,  'they  were  too  low  for  him  to  associate  with,'  with 
a  citation  of  the  black  sheep  story,  etc.;  all  of  whom 
were  'astonished  beyond  measure' at  the  progress  of  this 
'imposture,  which  they  thought  would  not  amount  to 
anything.'  All  of  which  was  sent  to  Rev.  A.  Marsh,  of 
Cadillac,  in  order  to  counteract  the  influence  which 
had  been  created  in  favor  of  the  faith  in  that  place,  by 
the  efforts  of  M.  H.  Bond  and  myself. 

"Believing  then  that  the  whole  story  was  a  trumped 
up  thing,  I  was  determined  to  call  on  these  gentlemen, 
and  ascertain  whether  this  pious  Rev.  told  the  truth 
about  what  they  said  or  not. 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  343. 

''At  about  10  a.  m.  we  called  at  the  house  of  Mr. 
Bryant,  and  knocked  at  the  door,  which  was  answerd 
by  a  lady  who  gave  her  name  as  Mary  Bryant.  She 
gave  us  seats  in  the  room  where  her  husband,  William 
Bryant,  was  sitting.  He  is  now  eighty-five  years  of 
age,  tall,  and  lean  in  flesh,  and,  during  our  interview, 
sat  in  a  stooping  posture,  with  open  mouth.  His  wife 
informed  us  that  for  the  last  few  years  his  mind  had 
been  somewhat  impaired.  She  has  a  good  memory,  is 
seventy-five  years  of  age,  intelligent,  and  seemingly  a 
great  talker.  We  announced  that  the  purpose  of  our 
visit  was  to  ascertain  some  facts  from  the  old  settlers, 
with  reference  to  the  people  known  as  Mormons,  who 
used  to  live  there,  as  it  is  understood  to  have  been  the 
home  of  the  Smith  family  and  others  at  the  time  the 
Book  of  Mormon  is  alleged  to  have  been  discovered. 

''To  this  Mr.  Bryant  in  a  slow  voice  replied,  'Yes, 
that  big  hill  you  saw  coming  along,  is  where  they  say 
Joe  Smith  got  the  plates;  you  must  have  seen  it  coming 
along.  Well,  you  can't  find  out  much  from  me;  I  don't 
know  much  about  them  myself;  I  have  seen  Joe  Smith 
once  or  twice;  they  lived  about  five  miles  from  where 
I  did;  was  not  personally  acquainted  with  any  of  them 
— never  went  to  any  of  their  meetings,  and  never  heard 
one  preach.' 

"What  do  you  know  about  the  character  of  the 
family?  How  were  they  for  honesty?  Were  they  in- 
dustrious or  lazy?  We  want  to  know  their  character 
among  their  old  neighbors. 

"  'Well,  I  don't  know  about  that.  I  never  saw 
them  work;  the  people  thought  young  Joe  was  a  great 
liar.' 

"What  made  them  think  that? 


344-  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

'*  'They  thought  he  lied  when  he  said  he  found 
that  gold  bible.' 

''Before  this  what  was  thought  of  him,  as  to  his 
telling  the  truth? 

"  'I  never  heard  anything  before  this.' 

"What  else  did  he  lie  about?  And  how  did  he 
get  the  name  of  being  such  a  great  liar? 

"  'The  people  said  he  lied  about  finding  the  plates; 
I  don't  know  whether  he  lied  about  anything  else;  they 
were  all  a  kind  of  a  low,  shiftless  set.' 

"What  do  you  mean  by  that? 

"  'The  people  said  they  were  awful  poor,  and  poor 
managers.  Joe  was  an  illiterate  fellow.  If  you  come 
from  Palmyra,  you  could  have  got  Tucker's  work  there 
and  it  would  have  told  you  all  about  them.  I  have 
read  a  great  deal  about  them.' 

"Yes,  we  have  seen  Tucker's  work,  but  there  are 
too  many  big  stories  in  that.  Thinking  people  don't 
believe  them;  they  ridicule  them,  and  demand  the  facts: 
we  wish  to  get  some  facts  which  we  can  stand  by 

"  'I  don't  know  anything  myself;  I  wish.  I  did. 
Have  you  been  to  see  Mr.  Reed?  He  lives  up  north  of 
Manchester;  he  knows.' 

"Mrs.  Bryant.  —  'My  husband  don't  know  anything 
about  them;  they  did  not  live  in  the  same  neighborhood 
that  we  did,  and  he  was  not  acquainted  with  them;  he 
don't  know  anything.' 

"Well,  were  they  drunkards? 

"Mr.  Bryant.  —  'Everybody  drank  whiskey  in  them 
times.' 

"Did  you  ever  see  Joe  Smith  drunk  or  drinking? 

"  'No,  I  can't  say  that  I  did;  I  only  saw  him  once  or 
twice,  when  he  came  to  the  woolen  mill  where  I  worked.' 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  345. 

*'Dici  you  not  see  Joe  drink  sometime? 

*'  'N-o-e.' 

"Mrs.  Bryant.  —  *He  ought  not  to  say  anything,  for 
he  knows  nothing  about  them;  then  it  has  been  a  long 
time  ago.' 

"Have  you  stated  now  all  you  know  about  them? 

"Mr.  Bryant.  —  'Yes;  I  never  knew  much  about 
them  anyway.' 

"Did  you  know  any  of  their  associates — Cowdery, 
Harris  or  others? 

"  *No,  I  never  knew  any  of  them.' 

"Mrs.  Bryant.  —  'I  knew  Cowdery;  Lyman  Cow- 
<lery,  I  believe,  was  his  name.  They  lived  next  door 
to  us;  they  were  low  shacks, — he  was  a  lawyer, — he 
was  always  on  the  wrong  side  of  every  case,  they  said,' 

"Did  he  ever  teach  school? 

"  'No,  not  this  one.' 

"Did  you  know  any  other  one? 

"  'No,  I  only  knew  this  one  and  his  family;  I  know 
they  borrowed  my  churn  once,  and  when  it  came  home, 
I  had  to  scour  it  all  over  before  I  used  it.  My  father 
owned  the  largest  house  there  was  in  the  country  at  that 
time.' 

"How  were  they  at)Out  being  honest,  and  telling 
the  truth? 

"  'I  don't  remember  anything  about  that,  now.' 

"Were  they  religious  people — pious? 

"  'No  they  did  not  belong  to  any  church;  I  know 
they  didn't,  for  there  were  only  two  churches  there,  the 
Baptist  and  Methodist, — sometimes  the  Universalists 
preached  there — they  did  not  belong  to  either  of  those 
churches.' 

"Mr.  Bryant.  —  'He  (Cowdery),  was  strong  against 


346.  COMPENDIUiM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

the   Masons;  he  helped   to  write   Morgan's   book,  they 
said.' 

''What  do  you  know,  now,  about  the  Smiths,  or 
others;  you  have  lived  here  about  seventy-five  years, 
have  you  not,  Mrs.   Bryant? 

"  'Yes,  I  have  lived  here  all  my  life,  but  I  never 
knew  anything  about  the  Smith's  myself;  you  will  find 
it  all  in  Tucker's  work.  I  have  read  that.  Have  you 
been  to  see  Mr.  Booth?  He  lives  right  up  here,  on  the 
road  running  south;  he  knows  all  about  them,  they  say.' 

"Very  good;  we  will  call  and  see  him.  Thank 
you  for  your  kindness  in  allowing  us  to  trouble  you. 

"  'Oh,  it  is  no  trouble;  I  wish  we  knew  more  to 
tell  you.' 

"We  then  called  upon  Mr.  David  Booth,  an  intel- 
ligent gentleman,  hale  and  hearty,  and  upwards  of 
seventy  years  of  age — and  make  known  our  business. 

"Mr.  Booth  promptly  stated  that  he  knew  nothing  of 
the    Smiths,    or  their  character;    did   not  live  in  their 
neighborhood,  and   never   saw   either  of   them;  did  not 
know  anything  about  them,  or  their  book. 
•Did  you  know  the  Cowderys? 
•  'I  knew  one — the  lawyer.' 
'What  kind  of  a  character*was  he? 
'  'A  low  pettifogger.' 
'What  do  you  mean  by  that? 

'  'Why,  he  was  not  a  regular  lawyer,  but  took 
small  cases  and  practiced  before  the  justices  of  the 
peace.      We  call  them  pettifoggers  here.' 

"What  was  his  given  name? 

"  'Lyman;  he  never  taught  school;  guess  he  was 
no  church  member;  he  was  a  Mason;  that  was  all  there 
was  to  him.      They  called  him  "loose  Cowdery,"  ' 


COMPENDIUiNI    OF    EVIDENCE.  347. 

"What  did  they  mean  by  that? 

"  'Why,  he  would  take  small  cases;  would  be  on 
the  wrong  side,  and  pettifog  before  justices,  was  the 
reason,  I  suppose.' 

''Are  you  certain  his  name  was  Lyman?  Wasn't  it 
Oliver? 

"  'It  has  been  a  long  time  ago.  I  think  may  be 
his  name  was  Oliver.' 

"Did  he  drink? 

"  'Everybody  drank  then.  I  never  saw^  Cowdery 
drink.' 

"Mr.  Bryant,  here  in  the  village,  told  us  that  he 
was  a  strong  Anti  Mason,  and  helped  to  write  Morgan's 
work. 

"  'Oh,  that  is  all  nonsense;  they  don't  know  any- 
thing about  it.  Mr.  Bryant  hasn't  been  here  more  than 
thirty-five  years:  his  wife  was  raised  here — is  his  second 
wife.  Cowdery  was  a  strong  Mason,  so  they  all  said; 
that  is  all  the  religion  he  had.' 

"Do  you  know  Rev.  Thorn,  a  Presbyterian  minis- 
ter at  Manchester? 

"  'Yes,  I  know  him.' 

"What  kind  of  a  fellow  is  he? 

"  'He  is  a  prettj^  sharp  fellow,  and  will  look  after 
his  bread  and  butter,  you  may  depend  on  that.' 

"Did  he  ever  interview  you  on  this  subject? 

"  'No,  sir;  he  never  did.' 

"Did  he  not  call  to  see  what  you  knew  about  the 
Smiths  and  Cowderys  about  a  year  ago? 

"  'No,  he  never  did,  to  my  recollection.' 

"Did  you  know  he  had  a  statement  of  yours  pub- 
lished in  Michigan,  in  regard  to  this,  last  year? 

"  'No,  sir;   I  never  heard  of  it  before.' 


348.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

"Did  you  ever  give  him  one  to  publish? 

"  *I  never  did — did  not  know  he  wanted  one/ 

"He  will  look  out  for  himself,  will  he? 

"  'He  will  that;  that  is  him.' 

"You  have  lived  here  all  your  life.  Tell  us  of 
some  one  who  can  tell  us  all  about  the  people  we  wish  to 
learn  about— some  of  the  old  settlers. 

"  'Squire  Pierce  and  Mr.  Reed  live  a  few  miles 
north  from  here,  in  the  neighborhood  where  the  Smiths 
lived;  they  know  all  about  them,  they  say.  The  Smiths 
never  lived  in  this  neighborhood.' 

"Do  you  know  Thomas  H.  Taylor,  of  Manchester? 

"  'Yes.' 

"What  kind  of  a  fellow  is  he? 

"  'He  is  a  pretty  smart  fellow;  can  do  most  any- 
thing he  undertakes;  he  is  a  lawyer,  and  lectures  some- 
times.' 

"Mr.  Booth,  we  were  told,  is  a  Free  Methodist. 
His  address  is  Shortville,  Ontario  Co.,  New  York. 

"Following  the  directions  of  Mr.  Booth,  we  re- 
passed the  town  of  Manchester,  and  at  one  o'clock,  p. 
m.*,  arrived  at  the  house  of  Ezra  Pierce,  a  very  pleasant 
and  hospitable  New  York  farmer,  quite  well  informed 
in  the  political  history  of  the  country,  especially  on  the 
Democratic  side.  Approaching  the  subject  of  the  de- 
sired interview   to  him,  he  quickly  answered  by  saying: 

".'Well,  gentlemen,  I  must  first  ask  you  a  question, 
because  I  went  on  to  give  my  statement  to  some  parties 
once,  and  as  it  did  not  suit  them,  they  began  to  abuse 
and  insult  me;  said  that  I  lied  about  it.  Let  me  ask: 
Are  you  Mormons?' 

E.  L. — I  am  a  lawyer,  myself;  this  other  gentle- 
man can  speak  for  himself.       We   don't   propose  to  be 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  349, 

anything,  especially  during  this  interview;  we  are  here 
to  try  to  find  out  some  facts,  and  we  don't  care  who 
they  hit;  it  is  facts  that  we  are  after,  and  you  may  be 
sure  there  will  be  no  abuse,  no  matter  which  side  they 
are  on. 

'•  'All  right;  that's  fair;  go  ahead.' 

*'Were  you  acquainted  with  the  Smith  family? 

"  'Oh,  yes,  I  pulled  sticks  with  Joe  for  a  gallon  of 
brandy  once  at  a  log  rolling;  he  was  about  my  age.  I 
was  born  in  1806.  I  lived  about  three  miles  from  the 
Smiths.  Was  not  very  well  acquainted  with  them,  but 
knew  them  when  I  saw  them.  I  knew  young  Joe,  who 
claimed  to  have  found  the  plates,  and  old  Joe,  his 
father.' 

''Did  young  Joe  drink? 

"  'Everybody  drank  them  times.' 

"Did  you  ever  see  young  Joe  drink. 

"  'No,  I  never  did;  it  was  customary  in  those  early 
days  for  everybody  to  drink,  more  or  less.  They  would 
have  it  at  huskings,  and  in  the  harvest  field,  and  places 
of  gathering;  the  Smiths  did  not  drink  more  than  others.' 

"What  about  Joe's  learning? 

"  'I  know  that  he  was  ignorant;  and  he  knew  no 
more  about  hieroglyphics  than  that  stove,'  pointing  to 
the  stove  in  the  room. 

"Well,  go  on  and  state  what  kind  of  a  family  they 
were — all  about  them. 

"  'They  were  poor,  and  got  along  by  working  by 
the  day;  the  old  man  had  a  farm  up  there,  and  a  log 
house  upon  it.  The  old  man  Smith  and  Hyrum  were 
coopers;  I  never  went  to  the  same  school  that  the  boys 
did — they  dug  for  money  sometimes;  young  Joe,  he 
had  a  stone  that  he  could  look  through  and  see  where 


350.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

the  money  was;  there  were  a  good  many  others  who 
dug  with  them,  and  Joe  used  to  play  all  kinds  of  tricks 
upon  them.' 

''Who  said  they  dug  for  money? 

''  *0h,  I  have  heard  it  lots  of  times.  If  my  brother 
was  living,  he  could  tell  you  all  about  it.' 

"Others  dug  besides  the  Smiths,  did  they? 

"  'Yes;  there  were  others  who  dug;  but  I  always 
heard  that  the  Smiths  dug  the  most;  one  of  the  Chase's, 
a  young  lady  had  a  stone,  which  she  claimed  she  could 
look  through  and  see  money  buried.^ 

"Did  any  body  dig  for  her? 

"  'Yes,  I  guess  they  did.      They  said  so.' 

"Then  young  Joe  had  some  opposition  in  the  see-' 
ing  money  business? 

"  'That  is  whafeverybody  said.' 

"Who  was  this  Miss  Chase?     Where  does  she  live? 

"  'She  is  dead  now;  she  was  a  sister  to  Abel 
Chase,  who  lives  upon  the  Palmyra  Road.  Have  you 
seen  him?  He  will  know  all  about  this.  He  has  been 
in  the  cave  with  the  Smiths  where  the  sheep  bones  were 
found — people  used  to  think  they  were  making  counter- 
feit money/ 

"Did  you  ever  see  any  of  it? 

"  'No.' 

"Did  any  of  the  neighbors? 

"  'No:   I  never  heard  any  say  they  did.' 

"Did  any  one  ever  catch  them  trying  to  pass  coun- 
terfeit money? 

"  'No;  oh!  I  don^t  say  they  made  any;  it  was  only 
talked  around.' 

"Who  talked  it;  their  friends  or  enemies,  and  when 
was  it  talked? 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  35 1. 

'*  'Well,  they  were  not  their  friends  of  course;  I 
never  heard  it  while  they  lived  here;  after  they  went  to 
Kirtland,  Ohio,  people  were  talking  it.' 

"Young  lady,  a  daughter  of  Mr.  Pierce: 

*'  'The  sheets,  the  sheets,  pa;  what  was  it  about 
the  sheets?  Ma  said  old  Mr.  Smith  come  here  with  the 
sheets — and  she  told  him  to  leave.  How  was  it?'  (look- 
ing to  other  members  of  the  house). 

*'The  sheets;  what  kind  of  sheets?  (I  began  to 
think  of  ghosts  and  hobgoblins). 

''  'The  sheets,  or  the  leaves,  he  was  carrying 
around  in  an  old  sack,  or  something.' 

''Our  feelings  were  relieved  somewhat  when  we 
learned  on  further  inquiry,  that  Mr.  Smith  had  called 
upon  them  when  the  Book  of  Mormon  was  first  pub- 
lished, with  a  few  unbound  volumes  for  sale,  and  was 
ordered  out  of  the  house  by  'ma;'  nothing  like  ghosts 
being  connected  with  the  event. 

"Squire,  did  you  really  think  they  were  in  the 
counterfeit  money  business? 

"  'No;   I  never  thought  they  did  that.' 

"Tell  us  about  the  cave  you  spoke  of. 

"  'The  cave  is  over  there  in  the  hill  now — a  large 
cave.' 

"In  what  hill?     The  hill  they  call  'Mormon  Hill?' 

"  'No;  it  is  about  a  mile  from  that,  but  what  are 
you  so  particular  about  it  for?' 

"We  want  to  go  and  see  it — we  want  to  see  the 
thing  itself.  Now  you  have  been  there,  give  us  the  de- 
scription, while  we  write  it  down,  so  that  we  can  find  it. 
^  "  'No;  I  never  saw  it;  besides  it  is  all  caved  in 
now,  so  you  could  not  see  anything.  There  is  no  cave 
there  now,  it  is  all  fallen  in.' 


352.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

"The  young  lady.  —  'Well,  why  are  yon  so  particu- 
lar for,  anyway;  what  good  will  it  do?' 

**We  wish  to  know  just  how  much  truth  there  is  to 
these  stories;  and  get  some  facts  that  we  can  stand  on. 

''Y.  L. — 'But  what  good  will  it  do?' 

"Just  this;  there  has  been  a  great  many  stories  told 
about  these  people,  and  the  finding  of  the  plates;  some 
believe  there  is  truth  in  the  stories,  and  some  believe 
they  are  lies.  We  are  investigating  the  matter  to  sat- 
isfy ourselves  what  there  is  in  it. 

"Y.  L.  —  'Now,  you  had  better  turn  your  backs  up- 
on it,  and  let  it  go;  that  is  the  way  to  do,  there  is  no 
truth  in  it.' 

"That  is  just  the  thing  at  issue.  Some  say  there 
is  truth  in  it,  some  say  there  isn't.  It  is  right  to  inves- 
tigate and  prove  all  things;  and  we  wish  to  find  what 
there  is  in  this. 

"Y.  L. —  'But  what  good  will  it  do  to  find  out  the 
truth  about  the  Book  of  Mormon?' 

"If  it  is  what  it  claims  to  be,  we  wish  to  know  it; 
if  false,  we  wish  evidence  to  prove  that. 

"Y.  L.  —  'What;  you  spending  your  time  trying  to 
find  out  about  that?  If  I  only  knew  where  your  wives 
are,  I  would  write  to  them  and  let  them  know  just  what 
you  are  doing.' 

'*A11  right;  do  so.  (Here  we  gave  our  names  and 
addresses). 

"Did  you  ever  read  that  book? 

"Y.  L. — 'No;   I  never  saw  one.' 

"Well,  I  have;  and  there  is  something  strikingly 
strange  about  it.  It  is  certain  that  no  one,  or  multi-. 
tude  of  men,  ever  possessed  suflficient  inventive  genius 
to  produce  it,  or  one   similar  to  it,  and  have  it  so  per- 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 


353- 


feet  in  its  doctrinal  teachings,  history  and  general  make 
up,  as  to  baffle  the  skill  of  learned  critics  to  detect  the 
error  and  deception.  This  book  bids  defiance  to  the 
whole  learned  world  to  prove  it  false;  did  you  ever 
think  of  that? 

"Y.  L. — 'No;  but  what  good  will  it  do,  if  it  is  true?' 

''If  really  true;  Joseph  Smith  obtained  the  plates, 
and  men  are  telling  falsehoods  about  him;  and  there 
has  been  a  divine  communication  from  heaven  in  our 
own  day,  which  is  contrary  to  the  whole  of  the  tradi- 
tionary religious  belief  of  the  age.  It  unites  with  the 
testimony  given  in  the  Bible  concerning  Jesus  being  the 
Christ;  and  that  he  is  indeed,  the  Redeemer  of  the 
world;  hence,  another  witness  testifying  in  favor  of  His 
mission  and  work.  Quite  a  necessary  thing  when  we 
take  into  consideration  the  unbelief  and  skepticism 
there  is  in  the  world  at  the  present  time,  and  it  is  on 
the  increase.  Then  it  is  very  gratifying  and  instructive 
to  know  about  the  ancient  inhabitants  of  this  country, 
their  origin,  habits  of  life,  form  of  government,  laws 
and  religion. 

"Y.  L. — 'But  does  this  book  teach  the  same  as  the 
Bible— our  Bible?' 

"The  teachings  of  the  two  books  are  the  same,  so 
far  as  religious  duties  and  life  are  concerned.  Besides 
it  is  urged  that  many  prophecies  of  the  Bible  refer  to 
the  coming  forth  of  this  book,  and  we  confess  that  we 
are  not  enabled  to  explain  satisfactorily  the  passages 
referred  to,  in  any  other  light. 

"Y.  L.— '\Vhy  what  are  some  of  them?  I  never 
heard  of  that  before.' 

"The  twenty-ninth  chapter  of  Isaiah  is  one  directly 
in  point,  where  the  prophet  speaks  with  reference  to  a 


354-  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

sealed  book  coming  forth,  the  words  of  which  were  to 
be  delivered  to  a  learned  man,  but  he  could  not  be  able 
to  read  them;  and  the  book  itself  was  to  be  delivered 
to  an  unlearned  man,  and  he  would  be  enabled  to  read 
it.  Also  the  stick  of  Joseph  in  the  hand  of  Ephraim, 
recorded  in  the  thirty-seventh  chapter  of  Ezekiel.  It 
is  interpreted  by  the  learned  that  the  stick  of  Judah, 
there  mentioned,  is  the  Bible;  and  the  Latter  Day 
Saints  hold  the  stick  of  Joseph  referred  to,  is  the  Book 
of  Mormon.  Then  in  the  tenth  of  John,  where  Jesus 
says:  'Other  sheep  I  have  which  are  not  of  this  fold,' 
etc.,  relates  to  Israelitish  people  who  had  to  come  to 
this  continent,  and  were  unknown  to  the  Jews,  but 
known  to  Jesus.  It  is  held,  too,  that  the  fourteenth 
chapter  of  the  book  of  Revelations  refers  to  this  event, 
where  John  saw  an  angel  flying  through  the  midst  of 
heaven  having  the  everlasting  gospel  to  preach  to  all 
people,  just  previous  to  the  hour  of  God's  judgment; 
and  many  other  passages.      Did  you  never  read  them? 

*'Y.  L. — 'No;  write  some  of  them  down,  and  I 
will  examine  them.'  (Here  we  wrote  down  some  refer- 
ences). 

"Y.  L.  —  'Don't  this  book  teach  polygamy?' 

"Oh,  no;  it  is  much  more  outspoken  and  emphatic 
against  that  sin  than  the  Bible.  (Quoting  a  passage 
from  the  Book  of  Jacob).  The  people  in  Utah,  known 
as  Mormons,  treat  it  as  you  would  a  last  year's  almanac. 
They  say  it  was  good  in  its  time,  but  they  have  out- 
grown it. 

*'¥.  L.  —  'Are  there  any  other  people  who  believe 
in  that  book?' 

"Yes;  the  Latter  Day  Saints  who  may  be  found  in 
almost  every    State  and  Territory   in  the   Union,    and 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDEN'CE.  355. 

Other  parts  of  the  world.  An  intelligent  class  of  peo- 
ple, who  have  taken  pains  to  examine  all  sides  relating 
"to  this  subject,  and  have  become  convinced  that  there 
is  truth  in  it.  They  do  not  believe  in  going  to  Utah; 
neither  are  they  more  like  them  in  faith  and  doctrine 
than  are  the  Methodists,  Baptists,  Presbyterians,  etc. 
They  have  a  publishing  house  at  Piano,  Illinois,  about 
fifty-six  miles  from  Chicago,  and  are  an  orderly  class 
■of  people.  It  was  very  easy  for  people  in  the  days  of 
Jesus  to  say  that  He  was  an  imposter — was  possessed  of 
the  devil — born  of  fornication — a  glutton  and  a  wine 
bibber;  an  enemy  of  mankind  generally,  but  He  was 
true,  and  the  Christ  just  the  same.  Sensible  people 
'examined  into  the  facts,  then,  relating  to  Him  and  His 
doctrine;  and  the  foolish  were  moved  by  gossip,  stories 
and  popular  rumor,  until  they  raised  their  hands  and 
rejected  the  best  friend  of  the  human  race.  It  is  just 
as  easy  for  people  to  cry  in  this  age  'Old  Joe  Smith — 
Gold  Bible — Money  digger,  Imposter,'  etc.  But  what 
are  the  facts  in  the  case?  That  is  what  we  wish  to 
know.  I  am  a  Latter  Day  Saint  minister  myself,  not 
of  choice^  but  from  conviction,  by  force  of  evidence 
adduced  on  that  side  of  the  question;  I  expect  to  con- 
tinue to  be  one  until  convinced  that  it  is  not  right,  and 
it  will  take  something  more  than  stories  to  do  it. 

"The  Squire.— 'Well,  if  he  believes  that  Joe  Smith 
was  a  prophet,  that's  enough;  you  can't  do  anything 
with  him.      I  never  knew  one  to  change  yet,' 

''Now  Squire,  what  do  you  know  about  it? 

"  'I  don't  know  anything  about  it,' 

"Now,  I  am  ready  to  affirm  that  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon is  a  work  of  divine  authenticity,  and  that  Joseph 
Smith   was  a  prophet   of  God;   and  I  say  that  I   can 


356.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

prove  it  from  the  Bible  and  other  evidences,  and  am 
willing  to  undertake  to  do  it  right  here,  or  in  Palmyra,  or 
Manchester,  where  it  is  admitted  the  thing  first  started. 

"Y.  L.  —  *Why,  I  don't  believe  you  would  be  safe  to 
do  that  here.' 

''You  don't?  Have  you  such  a  class  of  people 
here,  that  they  will  break  the  laws  of  the  country,  and 
refuse  liberty  of  speech  and  conscience?  Don't  dare 
to  speak  my  sentiments  in  a  country  in  which  I  have 
followed  the  flag,  and  bore  arms  for  its  defense,  in 
order  to  continue  a  perpetual  union?  A  country  in 
which  every  ounce  of  powder  and  pound  of  lead  is 
pledged  to  maintain  human  rights  and  religious  equality 
and  freedom? 

''  'Oh,  I  guess  they  would  let  you,  too;  I  will  take 
that  back.  It  is  right  to  let  all  have  the  privilege  of 
speaking  their  minds.' 

"Of  course,  Squire,  I  should  not  expect  you  to  be- 
lieve in  this,  for  it  is  difficult  for  any  one  to  believe  a 
matter  without  evidence;  and  you  say  you  never  heard 
one  of  them  preach;  never  attended  their  meetings; 
never  read  one  of  their  books,  and  have  read  a  great 
many  things  written  against  them.  Now  would  any  of 
us  have  ever  believed  in  Jesus  if  we  had  never  read  any- 
thing that  he  and  the  apostles  said;  never  read  any  of 
their  books;  but  just  took  the  stories  their  enemies  cir- 
culated about  them — read  the  books  put  out  by  the  pre- 
tended pious  Jews  against  them?  And  don't  you  know 
that  it  is  from  that  standpoint  that  the  Jews  reject  Jesus 
and  the  teachings  of  the  apostles,  unto  this  day?  They 
say  they  have  hundreds  of  witnesses  to  one  that  Jesus 
was  a  law-breaker,  and  a  deceiver;  and  the  apostles 
false  witnesses. 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  357. 

"  'Yes,  that  is  true.' 

''Y.  L. — 'Can  you  speak  in  tongues  and  prophesy?' 

"Suppose  I  can't,  what  has  that  to  do  with  the 
principle?  Jesus  says,  'These  signs  shall  follow  them 
that  believe.'  It  is  in  the  Bible.  I  am  not  responsible 
for  it. 

"  'But  can  you  speak  in  tongues?  That  is  my 
question.' 

"I  have  heard  a  great  many  of  the  Saints  speak  in 
tongues  and  interpret.  Have  heard  them  speak  in 
prophecy,  and  have  seen  the  sick  healed  many  times. 

"  'But  can  you  prophesy  'and  speak  in  tongues?' 

"Well,  what  would  you  think,  if  I  was  to  tell  you 
that  I^can? 

"  'Why,  I  should  say  you  was  crazy.' 

"That  is  just  what  I  thought. 

"  'We  have  institutions  in  which  ministers  are 
educated  now,  and  we  don't  need  such  things.' 

"Yes;  I  know  there  are  a  good  many  who  seem  to 
think  they  know  more  than  Paul  and  Peter  did  about 
Christ  and  his  doctrine;  have  gone  on  to  invent  creeds 
and  systems;  but  did  you  never  think  that  this  is  the 
greatest  evil  of  the  age — the  very  thing  that  keeps  men 
in  fetters,  ignorance  and  superstition.  Here  is  a  Roman 
Catholic  institution,  that  educates  its  priests  to  teach 
Catholicism;  and  after  they  go  through  the  training, 
they  know  nothing  else;  hence,  start  out  in  their  little 
groove  to  make  Catholics.  They  do  not  know  any- 
thing else,  nor  will  they  listen  to  others,  in  order  that 
they  may  become  informed.  It  is  the  abominable  sys- 
tem of  training  is  the  difficulty.  Take  the  Metholiist 
ministers,  or  Baptist,  or  Episcopalian,  or  Quakers,  or 
Disciples,    or  Adventists,    or   others;  and   each   has  to 


358.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

pass  through  their  respective  institutions  of  training, 
and  when,  through,  they  start  out,  not  to  preach  what  is 
in  the  Bible,  for  many  of  them  are  forbidden  to  talk 
^octrine,  but  to  proselyte  to  their  peculiar  creeds;  for- 
tify and  build, them  up.  One  to  teach  sprinkling  for 
baptism;  another  pouring,  or  immersion;  another  no 
baptism  at  all,  or  only  that  of  the  Spirit;  one  that  you, 
must  keep  Sunday,  and  others,  Saturday;  another  tha^ 
you  will  be  .saved  by  works;  another  by  faith  and  grace, 
■yvithout  works;  one  sprinkles  infants,  and  others  don't; 
all  owing  to  what  scl^ool  he  was  educated  in.  If  any 
courageous  spir.it  endeavors  to  break  ,away  from  the 
preed,  they  will  whip,  him  into  the  traces  or  throw  him 
put.  There  is  no  genuine  Christian  unity  and  love  be- 
t:ween  them,  but  ea.ch,  rejoices  at  tl;ie  others  downfall, 
for  the  sake  of  the  advantage;  not  because  it  is  accord- 
ing to  the  Bible,  but  according, to  the  Cr^ed. 

'<  'Well,  I  guess  there  is  a  good  deal  of  truth  in 
that.' 

"In  this  age  of  the  conflict  of  ideas  and  investiga- 
tion, people  are  getting  tired  of  mythg,  and  are  digging 
deep  and  searching  for  facts,  in  religion  as  well  as 
everything  else.  If  religion  is  a  truth,  the  facts  should 
^how  it; .  if  false,  the  world  ought  to  know  that.  We 
t)elieve  in  discussion — 'proving  all  things,  and  holding 
fast  that  which  is  good.'  Hearing  everybody;  investi- 
gating everything  possible.      But  we  must  go. 

"Mr.  Pierce  having  referred  us  to  Mr.  Reed, 
Orlando  Saunders,  and  Abel  Chase, , we  took  leave  of 
him  and  his.  intelligent  family,  and  called  next  at  the 
residence  of  Mr.  Orin  Reed. 

"He  was  at  his  home,  doing  some  work  about  the 
barn.     He  is  a  gentleman,  of  about  seventy  years  of  age. 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  359. 

hard  of  hearing,  and  of  pleasant  and  intelligent  counte- 
nance. Breaking  the  object  of  our  call  to  'him,  h^ 
readily  informed  us  that  he"  khew  •  nothing  whatever 
in  regard  to  the  character  of  Joseph  Smith,  or  his 
family. 

''Mr.  Reed,  were  you  not  acquainted  with  the 
Smith  family,  or  some  of  those  early  connected  with 
them? 

''  'No,  I  was  not.  I  lived  in  the  town  of  Farming- 
fon  when  the  Smiths  lived  hfere.  I  ktiew  nothing  about 
any  of  them;  was  not  personally  acquainted  with  them; 
and  never  heard  any  of  them  preach,  nor  never  attended 
any  t)f  their  meetings.  I  have  seen  Hyrum  Smith.  He 
bought  a  piece  of  land  near  hefe,  and  lived  on  it  some" 
time  after  the  others  left;  but  I  don't  know  anything 
against  him.' 

''We  were  given  your  name  by  a  number  of  per- 
sons, who  claimed  that  you  did  know  all  about  them, 
Mr.  Reed? 

"  'Is  that  so?  Well,  they  are  mistaken;  I  don't 
know  anything  about  it.  I  think  Mr.  Orlando  Saun- 
ders, living  up  on  the  road  to  Palmyra,  will  know  mord 
about  that  pfeople  than  ahy  one  around  hefe.  He  was 
better  acquainted  with  them,  or  lived  right  by  them, 
and  had  a  better'  opportunity  of  knowing  them.' 

"Yes,  we  have  hisnanie  already,  but  have  liot  seeil 
him  yet.  Do  you  know  Mr.  Thorn,  the  Presbyterian 
minister  at  Matichester,  over  here. 

"  «Yes,  I  know  him  slightly.'  •      ; 

"Did  you  not  make  a  statement  to  him  in  regard  to 
the  character  of  these  men;  that  they  were  low  persons, 
and  not  good  associates,  or  something  of  the  kind? 

"  'I  never  did.' 


360.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

"Did  he  call  on  you  to  find  out  what  you  knew 
about  it? 

"  'No,  sir,  he  never  did;  at  least  he  never  let  me 
know  anything  about  it,  if  he  did.' 

''Did  you  ever  see  a  statement  he  sent  to  Michigan 
last  year,  and  had  published,  purporting  to  be  what  you 
and  others  knew  about  the  Smiths  and  Cowderys? 

"  'No,  I  never  did;  did  not  know  that  one  was 
ever  published  before.' 

"You  think  we  can  find  out  about  these  persons 
from  Mr.  Saunders,  then,  Mr.  Reed? 

"  'Yes;  he  is  more  likely  to  know  than  any  one 
round  here.' 

'•Leaving  Mr.  Reed,  we  at  once  drove  to  the  house 
of  Mr.  Orlando  Saunders,  and  found  that  gentleman, 
with  his  wife  and  two  sons,  at  supper.  Mr.  Saunders 
is  a  man  seventy-eight  years  old,  in  April,  1881;  a  fair 
type  of  the  intelligent  New  York  farmer,  seemingly  well- 
to-do  in  this  world's  goods,  and  quite  actiye  for  a  man  of 
his  years;  and  withal,  has  an  honest  and  thoughtful  face. 

"Entering  upon  conversation  with  reference  to  our 
business,  Mr.  Saunders  at  once  said: 

"  'Well,  you  have  come  to  a  poor  place  to  find  out 
anything.  I  don't  know  anything  against  these  men, 
myself.'  (Evidently  judging  that  we  wanted  to  get 
something  against  them,  only.) 

"Were  you  acquainted  with  them,  Mr    Saunders? 

"  'Yes,  sir;  I  knew  all  of  the  Smith  family,  well; 
there  were  six  boys;  Alvin,  Hyrum,  Joseph,  Harrison, 
William,  and  Carlos,  and  there  were  two  girls;  the  old 
man  was  a  cooper;  they  have  all  worked  for  me  many 
a  day;  they  were  very  good  people;  Young  Joe,  (as  we 
called  him  then),  has  worked  for  me,  and  he  was  a  good 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  361. 

worker;  they  all  were.  I  did  not  consider  them  good 
managers  about  business,  but  they  were  poor  people; 
the  old  man  had  a  large  family.' 

"In  what  respect  did  they  differ  from  other  people, 
if  at  all? 

"  'I  never  noticed  that  they  were  different  from 
other  neighbors;  they  were  the  best  family  in  the  neigh- 
borhood in  case  of  sickness;  one  was  at  my  house  nearly 
all  the  time  when  my  father  died;  I  always  thought 
them  honest;  they  were  owing  me  some  money  when 
they  left  here,  that  is,  the  old  man  and  Hyrum  did,  and 
Martin  Harris.  One  of  them  came  back  in  about  a 
year  and  paid  me.' 

''How  were  they  as  to  habits  of  drinking  and  get- 
ting drunk? 

'^  'Everybody  drank  a  little  in  those  days,  and  the 
Smiths  with  the  rest;  they  never  got  drunk  to  my 
knowledge.' 

"What  kind  of  a  man  was  Martin  Harris?  ' 

"  'He  was  an  honorable  man.  Martin  Harris  was 
one  of  the  first  men  of  the  town.' 

"How  well  did  you  know  young  Joseph  Smith? 

"  'Oh!  just  as  well  as  one  could  very  well;  he  has 
worked  for  me  many  a  time,  and  been  about  my  place 
a  great  deal.  He  stopped  with  me  many  a  time,  when 
through  here,  after  they  went  west  to  Kirtland;  he  was 
always  a  gentleman  when  about  my  place.' 

"What  did  you  know  about  his  finding  that  book, 
or  the  plates  in  the  hill  over  here? 

"  'He  always  claimed  that  he  saw  the  angel  and 
received  the  book,  but  I  don't  know  anything  about  it. 
Have  seen  it,  but  never  read  it  as  I  know  of;  didn't  care 
anything  about  it.' 


362.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

/'Well,  you  seem  to  differ  a  little  from  a  good  many 
of  the  stories  told  about  these  people. 

''  'I  have  told  you  just  what  I  kfiow  about  them, 
and  you  will  have  to  go  somewhere  else  for  a  different 
story.' 

"Mr.  Saunders,  giving  us  the  directions  to  the 
house  of  Abel  Chase,  we  next  called  upon  him  and  as- 
certained the  following: 

"Mr.  Chase.  —  'I  am  sixty-seven  years  old.  Knew 
the  Smiths;  the  old  man  was  a  cooper.  I  was  young 
and  don't  remember  only  general  character.  They 
were  poorly  educated,  ignorant  and  superstitious:  were 
kind  of  shiftless,  but  Would  do  a  good  day's  work. 
They  used  to  call  Joe,  '.'Lobby  Joe."  He  got  a  singu- 
lar looking  stone,  which  was  dug  up  out  of  my  father's 
well;  it  belonged  to  my  brother  Willard,  aiid  he  could 
never  get  it.  His  mother,  old  Mrs.  Smith,  got  the  stone 
from  mother.' 

"How  do  you  know  Joe  ever  had  it? 

"  'Oh,  I  don't  know  that;  but  my  brother  could 
never  get  it  back.' 

"Your  sister  had  a  stone  she  could  look  through 
and  see  things,  so  they  have  told  us;  did  you  ever  see 
that,  Mr.  Chase? 

"  'Yes,  I  have  seen  it,  but  that  was  not  the  one 
that  old  Mrs.  Smith  got.'  ' 

"Well,  could  yoii  see  things  through  that? 

"  'I  could  not;  it  was  a  dark  looking  stone;  it  was 
a  peculiar  stone.' 

"Do  you  really  think  your  sister  could  see  things 
by  looking  through  that  stone,  Mr.  Chase? 

"  'Well,  she  claimed  to;  and  I  must  say  there  was 
something  strange  about  it.' 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  363. 

«'Where  is  your  sister  now? 

f  'She  is  not  living  now:  my  brother  Willard  is 
dead,  also.  He  would  know  more  than  I  do  about 
jthose  things.' 

"How  did  the  stone  look,  you  say  Mrs.  Smith 
got?  .....  .    , 

"  'I  don't  know;   I  never  saw  that. 

''How  do  you  |cnow  she  got  it? 

"  'They  said  she  did;  I  was  young,  and  don't  re- 
member myself.'  ,         ,        , 

"Did  you  ever  see  the  Smiths  dig  for  money;  or 
did  you  ever  see  the  cave  where  they  say  they  met  at? 

"  'No.  I  never  saw  them  ^dig,  myself;  I  never 
saw  the  cave.'  , 

"Well;  you  were  a  young  man  then,  how  did  it 
come  you  lived  so  n^ear^  and  never  saw  thern  do  these 
things? 

I  "  'I  was  young,  and  never  went  where  they  were. 
Don't  know  anything  about  it  but  what  I  have  heard. 
Jf  you  will  see  Mr.  Guilbert,  at  Palmyra,  he  can  tell 
you  more  about  it  than  any  person  else;  he  knows  it 
^11  and  has  been  getting  everything  he  could  for  years 
to  publish  against  them;  he  was  in  with  Tucker  in  get- 
jting  oat  Tucker's  \!i^ork.' 

"All  right,  Mr.  Chase,  we  will  see  him  this  even- 
ing if  possible.  Good  day,  sir,  Much  obliged  for  the 
jtrouble. 

"  'Oh!  it  is  no  trouble;  I  only  wish  I  could  tell 
you  more.' 

^  "Early  in  the  evening  we  called  upon  Mr.  John 
H.  Gilbert,  at  his  residence,  and  made  known  our  de- 
sire for  an  interview,  etc.  He  seemed  quite  free  to 
give  us  all  the  information  he  had   upon   the   subject. 


364.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

and  said  he  had  been  for  the  past  forty-five  or  fifty 
years  doing  all  he  could  to  find  out  what  he  could  about 
the  Smiths  and  Book  of  Mormon.  He  is  a  man  seven- 
ty-nine years  of  age,  and  quite  active  even  in  this  time 
of  life. 

''What  did  you  know  about  the  Smiths,  Mr.  Gil- 
bert? 

"  'I  knew  nothing  myself;  have  seen  Joseph  Smith 
a  few  times,  but  not  acquainted  with  him.  Saw  Hyrum 
quite  often.  I  am  the  party  that  set  the  type  from  the 
original  manuscript  for  the  Book  of  Mormon.  They 
translated  it  in  a  cave.  I  would  know  that  manuscript 
today  if  I  should  see  it.  The  most  of  it  was  in  Oliver 
Cowdery's  handwriting.  Some  in  Joseph's  wife's;  a 
small  part  though.  Hyrum  Smith  always  brought  the 
manuscript  to  the  office;  he  would  have  it  under  his 
coat,  and  all  buttoned  up  as  carefully  as  though  it  was 
so  much  gold.  He  said  at  the  time  it  was  translated 
from  plates  by  the  power  of  God,  and  they  were  very 
particular  about  it  We  had  a  great  deal  of  trouble 
with  it.  It  was  not  punctuated  at  all.  They  did  not 
know  anything  about  punctuation,  and  we  had  to  do 
that  ourselves.' 

''Well;  did  you  change  any  part  Qf  it  when  you 
were  setting  the  type? 

"  'No,  sir;  we  never  changed  it  at  all.' 

"Why  did  you  not  change  it  and  correct  it? 

"  'Because  they  would  not  allow  us  to;  they  were 
very  particular  about  that.  We  never  changed  it  in 
the  least.  Oh,  well;  there  might  have  been  one  or  two 
words  that  I  changed  the  spelling  of;  I  believe  I  did 
change  the  spelling  of  one,  and  perhaps  two,   but  no 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  365. 

'•Did  you  set  all  of  the  type,  or  did  some  one  help 
you? 

"  'I  did  the  whole  of  it  myself,  and  helped  to  read 
the  proof  too;  there  was  no  one  who  worked  at  that 
but  myself.  Did  you  ever  see  one  of  the  first  copies? 
I  have  one  here  that  was  never  bound.  Mr.  Grandin, 
the  printer,  gave  it  to  me.  If  you  ever  saw  a  Book  of 
Mormon  you  will  see  that  they  changed  it  afterwards.' 

"They  did!  Well,  let  us  see  your  copy;  that  is  a 
^ood  point.      How  is  it  changed  now? 

"  '1  will  show  you,'  (bringing  out  his  copy). 
'Here  on  the  title  page  it  says,'  (reading)  '  "Joseph 
Smith,  Jr,  author  and  proprietor."  Afterwards,  in 
getting  out  other  editions  they  left  that  out,  and  only 
claimed  that  Joseph  Smith  translated  it.' 

"Well,  did  they  claim  anything  else  than  that  he 
was  the  translator  when  they  brought  the  manuscript  to 
you? 

"  'Oh,  no;  they  claimed  that  he  was  translating  it 
by  means  of  some  instruments  he  got  at  the  same  time 
he  did  the  plates,  and  that  the  Lord  helped  him.' 

"Was  he  educated,  do  you  know? 

"  'Oh,  not  at  all  then;  but  I  understand  that  after- 
wards he  made  great  advancement,  and '  was  quite  a 
scholar  and  orator.' 

"How  do  you  account  for  the  production  of  the 
Book  of  Mormon,  Mr.  Gilbert,  then,  if  Joseph  Smith 
was  so  illiterate? 

"  'Well,  that  is  the  difficult  question.  It  must 
have  been  from  the  Spaulding  romance — you  have 
heard  of  that,  I  suppose.  The  parties  here  then  never 
could  have  been  the  authors  of  it,  certainly.  I  have 
been  for  the  last  forty-five  or  fifty  years  trying  to  get 


366.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

the  key  to  that  thing;  but  we  have  never  been  able  to 
make  the  connecting  yet.  For  some  years  past  I  have 
been  corresponding  with  a  person  in  Salt  Lake,  by  the 
name  of  Cobb,  who  is  getting  out  a  work  against  the 
Mormons;  but  we  have  never  been  able  to  find  what 
we  wanted.' 

"If  you  could  only  connect  Sidney  Rigdon  with 
Smith  some  way,  you  could  get  up  a  theory. 

"  'Yes;  that  is  just  where  the  trouble  lies;  the 
manuscript  was  put  in  our  hands  in  August,  1829,  and 
all  printed  by  March,  1830,  and  we  can  not  find  that 
Rigdon  was  ever  about  here,  or  in  this  state,  until 
sometime  in  the  Fall  of  1830.  But  I  think  I  have  got 
a  way  out  of  the  difficulty  now.  A  fellow  that  used  to 
be  here,  by  the  name  of  Saunders,  Lorenzo  Saunders, 
was  back  here  some  time  ago,  and  I  was  asking  him 
about  it.  At  first  he  said  he  did  not  remember  of  ever 
seeing  Rigdon  until  after  1830  sometime;  but  after 
studying  it  over  a  while,  he  said  it  seemed  to  him  that 
one  time  he  was  over  to  Smith's,  and  that  there  was  a 
stranger  there  he  never  saw  before,  and  that  they  said 
it  was  Rigdon  I  told  him  about  Cobb,  of  Utah,  and 
asked  him  if  he  would  send  Cobb  his  affidavt,  that  he 
saw  Rigdon  "  before  the  book  was  published,  if  he 
(Cobb),  would  write  to  him;  he  finally  said  he  would, 
and  I  wrote  to  Cobb  about  it,  and  gave  Saunders'  ad- 
dress, and  after  a  long  time,  I  got  a  letter  from  him, 
saying  he  had  written  three  letters  to  Saunders,  and 
could  get  no  answer.  I  then  sat  down  and  wrote  Saun- 
ders a  letter  myself,  reminding  him  of  his  promise, 
and  wrote  to  Cobb  also  about  it;  and  after  a  long 
time  Cobb  wrote  me  again,  that  Saunders  had  written 
to    him;    but    I    have    never    learned  how  satisfactory 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  367. 

it   was,    or    whether    he    made    the    affidavit    or    not.' 

"Is  that  Saunders  a  brother  of  the  Saunders  living 
down  here,  Orlando  Saunders? 

"  'Yes,  sir;  they  are  brothers.' 

"Is  he  older  or  younger? 

"  'Younger;  about  fifteen  years  younger.' 

"Then  he  must  have  been  quite  young  before  the 
Book  of  Mormon  was  published? 

"  'Yes,  he  was  young.' 

"This  Saunders  down  here  don't  talk  like  a  great 
many  people;  he  seems  to  think  the  Smiths  were  very 
good  people;  we  have  been  there  today. 

"  'Oh,  I  don't  think  the  Smiths  were  as  bad  as  peo- 
ple let  on  for.  Now  Tucker,  in  his  work,  told  too 
many  big  things;   nobody  could  believe  his  stories.' 

"Did  the  Smiths  ever  dig  for  money? 

"  'Yes;  I  can  tell  you  where  you  can  find  persons 
who  know  all  about  that;  can  take  you  to  the  very 
place.' 

"Can  you?     All  right,  give  us  their  names. 

"  'The  Jackaway  boys — two  old  bachelors,  and 
their  sister,  an  old  maid,  live  together,  right  up  the 
street  going  north,  near  the  north  part  of  the  town; 
they  can  tell  you  all  about  it,  and  show  you  the  very 
places  where  they  dug.' 

"What  will  you  take  for  your  copy  of  the  Book  of 
Mormon;  or  will  you  sell  it? 

"  'Yes,  I  will  sell  it.' 

"How  much  for  it? 

"  'I  will  take  Five  Hundred  Dollars  for  it,  and  no 
less:   I  have  known  them  to  sell  for  more  than  that.' 

"Well,  I  am  not  buying  at  those  figures,  thank  you. 

"What  kind  of  a  man  was  Martin  Harris? 


368.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

"  'He  was  a  very  honest  farmer,  but  very  super- 
stitious.' 

"What  was  he  before  his  name  was  connected 
with  the  Book  of  Mormon? 

"  'Not  anything,  I  believe;  he  was  a  kind  of  a 
skeptic' 

"What  do  you  mean  by  his  being  superstitious? 
Was  he  religious? 

"  'Well,  I  don't  know  about  that;  but  he  pretend* 
ed  to  see  things.' 

"What  do  you  think  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  as  a 
book;  you  are  well  posted  in  it? 

"  'Oh,  there  is  nothing  taught  in  the  book  but 
what  is  good;  there  is  no  denying  that;  it  is  the  claim 
of  being  from  God  that  I  strike  at.' 

"Well,  is  it  any  more  wonderful  than  that  God 
gave  the  Bible? 

"  'No,  not  a  bit;  and  there  is  a  good  deal  more 
evidence  to  show  that  that  is  divine  than  there  is  for 
some  of  the  books  in  the  Bible.  Why,  it  is  all  nonsense 
to  think  that  Moses  wrote  some  of  the  books  attributed 
to  him,  in  the  Bible.' 

"Then  you  don't  believe  the  'fish  story,'  either, 
Mr.  Gilbert? 

"  'No;  nor  that  Jonah  swallowed  the  whale.' 

"How  about  Sampson  catching  the  three  hundred 
foxes,  and  the  firebrands? 

"  'Yes,  that  is  a  good  one;   you  fellows  will  do.' 

"Much  obliged,  Mr.  Gilbert. 

"  'You  are  quite  welcome.  I  wish  I  could  give 
you  more  than  I  have.' 

"Acting  upon  Mr.  Gilbert's  advice,  we  at  once 
called  upon  the  Jackways,  and   found  the  older  of  the 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  369. 

boys  and  the  sister,  ready  to  talk  of  what  they  knew. 
They  had  Tucker's  work  on  the  small  table  by,  which 
they  offered  to  sell  us  for  three  dollars,  and  then  we 
could  read  for  ourselves;  but  being  quite  familiar  with 
its   weaknesses,  we  declined  to  purchase  at  the   price. 

"The  conversation  upon  the  main  topic  was  as 
follows: 

"What  is  your  age? 

"  'I  will  be  sixty-six  years  old  on  my  next  birth- 
day,' said  Mr.  Jackway.      (The  lady  did  not  answer). 

"How  far  did  you  live  from  town  at  the  time  the 
Smiths,  and  those  of  their  comrades,  were  in  this 
country? 

"  'One-half  mile  south  of  Palmyra.' 

"Were  you  acquainted  with  Joseph  Smith  and  his 
early  followers? 

"  'Yes,  I  knew  them;  seen  them  a  many  a  time — 
old  Joe  and  young  Joe.' 

"How  far  did  you  live  from  them? 

"  'It  was  about  a  mile.' 

"You  know  about  their  digging  for  money,  so  Mr. 
Gilbert  said;  he  sent  us  to  you? 

"  'Oh,  yes,  1  can  show  you  the  places  now;  there 
are  three  places  over  there  where  they  dug.' 

"Well,  we  want  to  see  them.     Did  you  help  them  dig? 

"  'No,  I  never  helped  them.' 

"Well,  you  saw  them  digging? 

"  'No,  I  never  saw  them  digging.' 

"How  do  you  know  they  dug  the  holes  you  refer  to? 

"  'I  don't  know  they  dug  them;  but  the  holes  are 
there.' 

"Did  anybody  else  dig  for  money  at  that  time 
there? 


370-  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

"  'I  believe  there  were  some  others  that  dug;  but 
I  did  not  see  them.' 

"Do  you  know  any  of  them? 

"  'I  only  know  one  now;  he  lives  up  at  Can- 
andaigua.' 

"(Mr.  Jackway  gave  us  the  name,  but  for  some 
cause  we  fail  to  find  it  in  our  notes). 

"What  do  you  know  about  ihe  Smiths'  character? 

"  'I  don't  know  much  about  that.' 

"Would  they  steal,  get  drunk,  &c? 

"  'Don't  know  anything  about  their  stealing.  Joe 
and  his  father  got  drunk  once.' 

"Where  was  that? 

"  'Tt  was  in  the  hay  field;  Joe  and  his  father 
wrestled,  and  Joe  threw  the  old  man  down  and  he 
cried.' 

"What  did  he  cry  for? 

"  'Because  Joe  was  the  best  man  I  guess.' 

"What  did  they  drink  to  make  them  drunk? 

"  'They  drank  cider.' 

"Got  drunk  so  they  could  not  walk,  on  cider,  did 
they? 

"  'No;  they  could  walk,  but  they  cut  up  and  acted 
funny? 

"Did  you  ever  see  them  drink,  or  drunk,  any  other 
time? 

"No;  not  as  I  remember.' 

"What  kind  of  a  woman  was  the  old  lady  Smith? 

"  'I  don't  know;  I  never  was  at  the  house.  She 
was  kind  in  sickness.' 

"Quite  a  number  here  in  town,  today,  have  told 
us  it  was  two  and  a  half  to  three  miles  from  Palmyra  to 
where  the  Smiths  lived;    how  is  that? 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  »        37 1. 

*'  *Yes  it  was  about  three  miles.' 

<'(How  Jackway  lived  within  half  a  mile  of  town 
and  only  a  mile  from  them  he  did  not  explain). 

"Where  was  Joe  when  he  was  translating  his  book? 

"  'At  home;   it  was  translated  in  the  farmhouse.' 

"Mr.  Gilbert,  across  here,  said  it  was  done  in  a 
cave;  now  you  don't  agree?  What  does  Tucker  say? 
(reading  Tucker). 

"  'They  all  differ.  Now,  Tucker  has  a  statement 
from  Willard  Chase  in  his  book,  and  Chase  said 
Tucker  never  called  on  him  at  all  to  find  out  what 
he  knew.' 

"Lady. — 'Yes;  I  have  heard  Willard  Chase  say 
Tucker  never  even  asked  him  for  what  he  knew,  and 
Chase  lived  next  door  to  him,  too.  Chase  is  dead 
now.' 

"Well,  did  you  ever  see  Hulbert  or  Howe,  that  pub- 
lished works? 

"  'Yes;  Hulbert  came  around  first,  I  believe,  soon 
after  the  thing  started,  and  they  had  gone  to  Kirtland, 
Ohio,  trying  to  find  things  against  them;  and  there  have 
been  a  good  many  around  trying  to  connect  Sidney 
Rigdon  with  them.' 

"What  kind  of  men  were  Martin  Harris  and  Oliver 
Cowdery? 

"  'Harris  was  an  industrious,  honest  man;  lived 
north  here,  two  miles.  The  Cowderys  were  as  good  as 
the  general  run  of  people.  Have  you  seen  Dr.  Stafford? 
He  lives  at  Rochester.  His  father,  William  Stafford,  is 
the  one  that  furnished  the  "black  sheep"  Tucker  tells 
about  there.' 

"He  is?     Well,  do  you  know  about  that? 

"  'No;  only  what  Tucker  says  there.' 


372.  *  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

"Taking  leave  of  the  Jackways,  in  due  time  we 
called  upon  Dr.  John  Stafford,  at  Rochester,  New  York. 
He  is  now  a  retired  ph3'sician,  being  too  aged  and  in- 
firm to  practice.  i\nswering  a  question  as  to  the  char- 
acter of  Joseph  Smith,  he  said: 

"  'He  was  a  real  clever,  jovial  boy.  What  Tucker 
said  about  them  was  false,  absolutely.  My  father, 
William  Stafford,  was  never  connected  with  them  in  any 
way.  The  Smiths,  with  others,  were  digging  for  money 
before  Joe  got  the  plates.  My  father  had  a  stone,  which 
some  thought  they  could  look  through,  and  old  Mrs. 
Smith  came  there  after  it  one  day,  but  never  got  it.  Saw 
them  digging  one  time  for  money;  (this  was  three  or 
four  years  before  the  Book  of  Mormon  was  found),  the 
Smiths  and  others.  The  old  man  and  Hyrum  were 
there,  I  think,  but  Joseph  was  not  there.  The  neigh- 
bors used  to  claim  Sally  Chase  could  look  at  a  stone 
she  had,  and  sec  money.  Willard  Chase  used  to  dig 
when  she  found  where  the  money  was.  Don't  know  as 
anybody  ever  found  any  money.' 

"What  was  the  character  of  Smith,  as  to  his  drink- 
ing? 

"  'It  was  common  then  for  everybody  to  drink, 
and  to  have  drink  in  the  field;  one  time  Joe,  while 
working  for  some  one,  after  he  was  married,  drank  too 
much  boiled  cider.  He  came  in  with  his  shirt  torn; 
his  wife  felt  bad  about  it,  and  when  they  went  home, 
she  put  her  shawl  on  him.' 

"Had  he  been  fighting  and  drunk? 

"  'No;  he  had  been  scuffling  with  some  of  the 
boys.  Never  saw  him  fight;  have  known  him  to  scuffle; 
would  do  a  fair  day's  work  if  hired  out  to  a  man;  but 
were  poor  managers.' 


COMPENDrUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  373. 

"What  about  that  black  sheep  your  father  let  them 
have? 

*'  '1  have  heard  that  story,  but  don't  think  my 
father  was  there  at  the  time  they  say  Smith  got  the 
sheep.      I  don't  know  anything  about  it.' 

"You  were  living  at  home  at  the  time,  and  it  seems 
you  ought  to  know  if  they  got  a  sheep  or  stole  one  from 
your  father? 

"  'They  never  stole  one,  I  am  sure;  they  may  have 
got  one  sometime.' 

"Well,  Doctor,  you  know  pretty  well  whether  that 
story  is  true  or  not,  that  Tucker  tells.  What  do  you 
think  of  it? 

"  *I  don't  think  it  is  true.  I  would  have  heard 
more  about  it,  that  is  true.  I  lived  a  mile  from  Smiths; 
am  seventy-six  years  old.  They  were  peaceable  among 
themselves.  The  old  woman  had  a  great  deal  of  faith 
that  their  children  were  going  to  do  something  great. 
Joe  was  quite  illiterate.  After  they  began  to  have 
school  at  their  house,  he  improved  greatly.' 

"Did  they  have  school  in  their  own  house? 

"  'Yes,  sir;  they  had  school  in  their  house,  and 
studied  the  Bible.' 

"Who  was-their  teacher? 

"  'They  did  not  have  any  teacher;  they  taught 
themselves.' 

"Did  you  know  Oliver  Cowdery? 

"  'Yes;  he  taught  school  on  the  Canandaigua  road, 
where  the  stone  school  house  now  stands;  just  three 
and  a  half  miles  south  of  Palmyra.  Cowdery  was  a 
man  of  good  character.' 

"What  do  you  know  about  Martin  Harris? 

"  'He  was  an  honorable   farmer;  he  was  not  very 


374-  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENXE. 

religious  before  the  Book  of  Mormon  was  published. 
Don't  know  whether  he  was  skeptical  or  visionary.  Old 
Joe  claimed  he  understood  geology,  and  could  tell  all 
kinds  of  minerals;  and  one  time,  down  at  Manchester, 
in  the  grocery,  the  boys  all  got  pretty  full,  and  thought 
they  would  have  some  fun,  and  they  fixed  up  a  dose  for 
him,'  (We  omit  the  ingredients  of  the  dose,  because 
improper  for  publication). 

"If  Smith  was  as  illiterate  as  you  say,  Doctor,  how 
do  you  account  for  the  Book  of  Mormon? 

"  'Well,  I  can't;  except  that  Sidney  Rigdon  was 
connected  with  them.' 

"What  makes  you  think  he  was  connected  with 
them? 

"  'Because  I  can't  account  for  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon any  other  way.' 

"Was  Rigdon  ever  around  there  before  the  Book 
of  Mormon  was  published. 

"  'No;  not  as  we  could  ever  find  out.  Sidney 
Rigdon  was  never  there,  that  Hulburt,  or  Howe,  or 
Tucker  could  find  out.' 

"Well;  you  have  been  looking  out  for  the  facts  a 
long  time,  have  you  not.  Doctor? 

"  'Yes;  I  have  been  thinking  and  hearing  about  it 
for  the  last  fifty  years,  and  lived  right  among  all  their 
old  neighbors  there  most  of  the  time.' 

"And  no  one  has  ever  been  able  to  trace  the 
acquaintance  of  Rigdon  and  Smith,  until  after  the  Book 
of  Mormon  was  published,  and  Rigdon  proselyted  by 
Pratt,  in  Ohio? 

"  'Not  that  I  know  of.' 

"Did  you  know  the  Pratts, — Parley  or  Orson  Pratt? 

"  'No;  have  heard  of  them.' 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  375. 

"Did  you  know  David  Whitmer? 

"  *No;  he  lived  in  Seneca  county,  New  York.' 

**Have  you  told  now  all  you  know  about  the 
Smiths  and  the  Book  of  Mormon? 

*•'  'All  that  I  can  recollect.' 

'•'Here  we  bade  the  Doctor,  whom  we  found  to  be 
quite  a  gentleman, — affable,  and  ready  to  converse, — 
good  day. 

"During  the  time  of  making  the  interviews  in  Man- 
chester, we  accidentally  met  the  Thomas  H.  Taylor, 
referred  to  by  Mr.  Booth  in  the  interview  with  him. 
He  is  a  Scotchman  by  birth,  of  advanced  age,  but  very 
robust  and  active.  Somewhat  of  the  knock-down  and 
drag-out  style;  is  a  public  speaker  and  lecturer,  and 
practices  law  to  some  extent.  He  claims  to  be  one  of 
the  original  parties  with  John  Brown  at  Harper's  Ferry 
— all  through  the  fight  there — and  previous  to  the  war 
of  the  rebellion,  was  engaged  in  piloting  the  darkey  to 
Canada  and  freedom.  He  was  a  soldier  throughout  the 
war,  and  saw  hard  service.  In  religion  he  follows  Col. 
Robert  G.  Ingersol.  To  our  inquiries  if  he  was  acquainted 
with  the  Smiths,  and  the  early  settlers  throughout  that 
part,  sometimes  called  Mormons,  he  said: 

"  'Yes;  I  knew  them  very  well;  they  were  very 
nice  men  too;  the  only  trouble  was  they  were  ahead  of 
the  people;  and  the  pfeople,  as  in  every  such  case, 
turned  out  to  abuse  them,  because  they  had  the  man- 
hood to  stand  for  their  own  convictions.  I  have  seen 
such  work  all  through  life,  and  when  I  was  work- 
ing with  John  Brown  for  the  freedom  of  my  fellow 
man,  I  often  got  in  tight  places,  and  if  it  had  not 
been  for  Gerritt  Smith,  Wendell  Phillips  and  some 
others,     who    gave    me    their    influence    and   money. 


376.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

I     don't     know     how     I     would     ever    got    through.' 

''What  did  the  Smiths  do  that  the  people  abused 
them  so? 

'' 'They  did  not  do  anything.  Why!  these  rascals  at 
one  time  took  Joseph  Smith  and  ducked  him  in  the  pond 
that  you  see  over  there,  just  because  he  preached  what  he 
believed,  and  for  nothing  else.  And  if  Jesus  Christ  had 
been  there,  they  would  have  done  the  same  to  him.  Now, 
I  don't  believe  like  he  did;  but  every  man  has  a  right  to 
his  religious  opinions,  and  to  advocate  his  views,  too; 
if  people  don't  like  it,  let  them  come  out  and  meet  him 
on  the  stand,  and  shew  his  error.  Smith  was  always 
ready  to  exchange  views  with  the  best  men  they  had.' 

"Why  didn't  they  like  Smith? 

"  'To  tell  the  truth,  there  was  something  about 
him  they  could  not  understand;  someway  he  knew 
more  than  they  did,  and  it  made  them  mad.' 

"But  a  good  many  tell  terrible  stories  about  them 
being  low  people,  rogues,  and  liars,  and  such  things. 
How  is  that? 

"  'Oh!  they  are  a  set  of  d — d  liars.  I  have  had 
a  home  here,  and  been  here,  except  when  on  business, 
all  my  life — ever  since  I  came  to  this  country,  and  I 
know  these  fellows;  they  make  these  lies  on  Smith, 
because  they  love  a  lie  better  than  the  truth.  I  can 
take  you  to  a  great  many  old  settlers  here  who  will  sub- 
stantiate what  I  say,  and  if  you  want  to  go,  just  come 
around  to  my  place  across  the  street  there,  and  I'll  go 
with  you.' 

"Well,  that  is  very  kind,  Mr.  Taylor,  and  fair;  if 
we  have  time  we  will  call  around  and  give  you  a  chance; 
but  we  are  first  going  to  see  these  fellows  who,  so  rumor 
says,  know  so  much  against  them. 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDEN'CE.  377. 

*'  -All  right;  but  you  will  find  they  don't  know 
anything  against  those  men  when  you  put  them  down  to 
it;   they  could  never  sustain  anything  against  Smith.' 

"Do  you  think  Smith  ever  got  any  plates  out  of 
the  hill  he  claimed  to? 

"  'Yes;  I  rather  think  he  did.  Why  not  he  find 
something  as  well  as  anybody  else.  Right  over  here, 
in  Illinois  and  Ohio,  in  mounds  there,  they  have  dis- 
covered copper  plates  since,  with  hieroglyphics  all  over 
them;  and  quite  a  number  of  the  old  settlers  around 
here  testified  that  Smith  showed  the  plates  to  them — 
they  were  good,  honest  men,  and  what  is  the  sense  in 
saying  they  lied?  Now,  I  never  saw  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon— don't  know  anything  about  it,  nor  care;  and 
don't  know  as  it  was  ever  translated  from  the  plates. 
You  have  heard  about  the  Spaulding  Romance;  and 
some  claim  that  it  is  nothing  but  the  books  of  the 
Bible  that  were  rejected  by  the  compilers  of  the  Bible; 
but  all  this  don't  prove  that  Smith  never  got  any 
plates.' 

''Do  you  know  Rev.  Thorn,  here  in  Manchester? 

"  'The  Presbyterian  preacher?' 

"Yes,  that  is  the  one. 

"  'I  know  him.' 

"What  kind  of  a  fellow  is  he? 

"  'Well,  originally  he  was  nothing.  He  got  some 
money,  and  went  off  to  college  a  while,  and  came  back 
a  Presbyterian  preacher.  He  knows  just  what  he  got 
'there,  and  feels  stuck  up,  and  is  now  preaching  for  his 
bread  and  butter;  and  if  they  should  take  away  his 
salary,  he  wouldn't  last  twenty-four  hours.' 

"We  are  much  obliged,  Mr.  Taylor,  for  your  kind- 
ness. 


378.  COiMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

"  'You  are  welcome,  and  if  you  will  drive  back,  I 
will  go  with  you  and  show  you  persons  who  can  tell  you 
all  about  those  people.' 

'*We  thus  left  Mr.  Taylor,  but  for  want  of  time, 
could  not  then  return  and  accept  his  kind  offer  to  show 
us  around;  hope  to  be  able  to  do  so  some  time  in  the 
future. 

"These  facts  and  interviews  are  presented  to  the 
readers  of  the  Herald  impartially — just  as  they  occurred 
— the  good  and  bad,  side  by  side;  and  allowing  for  a 
possible  mistake,  or  error,  arising  from  a  misapprehen- 
sion, or  mistake  in  taking  notes,  it  can  be  relied  upon 
as  the  opinion  and  gossip  had  about  the  Smith  family  and 
others,  among  their  old  neighbors.  It  will  be  remem- 
bered that  all  the  parties  interviewed  are  unbelievers  in, 
and  some  bitter  enemies  to,  the  faith  of  the  Saints;  and 
it  is  not  unreasonable  to  suppose  that  they  all  told  the 
worst  they  knew.  So  we  submit  it  to  the  readers  with- 
out comment,  with  the  expectation  of  sending  each  one 
of  the  parties  interviewed  a  copy  when  published. 

'^Wm.  H.  Kelley. 
"CoLDWATER,  Michigan,  Marcb,  1881." 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  379. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE    SPAULDINCx    MANUSCRIPT    STORY 
IN     BRIEF. 

The  supporters  of  the  "story"  give  the  date  of  its 
writing  as  1809-12.  The  decease  of  Spaulding  in 
1816.  Mrs.  Spaulding  the  custod}'  of  the  manuscript 
till  1834,  when  at  the  instance  of  W.  H.  Sabine,  Henry 
Lake,  Aaron  Wright  and  others  it  was  delivered  to  one 
D.  P.  Hurlbut,  who  turned  it  over  to  E.  D.  Howe,  who 
stated  in  his  book,  published  soon  after,  that  "it  did 
not  read  like  we  expected  and  we  did  not  use  it."  It 
was  then  lost  between  forty  and  fifty  years. 

In  1880  Elder  T.  W.  Smith  wrote  something  for 
the  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  Leader;  that  paper  declin- 
ing to  publish  the  article,  the  matter  was  disposed  of, 
setting  forth  solid  facts  in  the  following  terse  and  pithy 
manner: 

"In  reply  to  many  criticisms,  Mr.  Smith,  the  Mor- 
mon preacher  of  Pittsburg,  sends  us  a  small  letter  of 
about  forty  pages,  which  he  requests  us  to  print  as  'an 
act  of  justice'  to  him.  *  *  We  have  to  be  just  to  our 
readers  as  well  as  to  Mr.  Smith,  and  can  not  therefore 
surrender  the  space  where  they  have  a  right  to  look  for 
news,  to  the  missionary  efforts  of  any  sect  whatever. 
It  should  be  sufficient  justice  to  Elder  Smith  to  say  right 
now  and   here,  as  we   frankly  do,  that   the   evidence  by 


380.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

which  it  is  sought  to  prove  that  'Joe'  Smith  or  Sidney 
Rigdon  stole  the  manuscript  copy  of  Rev.  Solomon 
Spaulding's  romance,  and  made  the  Book  of  Mormon 
out  of  it,  is  FATALLY  DEFECTIVE.  The  thing  can  not  be 
proved.  The  Mormons  successfully  riddle  the  testi- 
mony of  those  who  assert  it,  and  very  fairly  demand 
that  Spaulding's  romance  be  produced  and  the  compari- 
son made  or  the  slander  be  dropped.  The  fact  that 
this  romance,  though  alleged  tp  have  remained  in  Gen- 
tile hands,  never  has  been  produced,  and  can  not  be 
now,  is  prima  facie  evidence  that  it  is  not  the  original 
of  the  Book  of  Mormon." — Pittsburg  Leader,  February 
20,  1880. 

The  following  year  Mr.  Smith  wrote  E.  D.  Howe 
who  replied  as  follows: 

"Painesville,  Ohio,  July  26th,  1881. 

"Sir: — Your  note  of  21st  is  before  me, — and  I  will 
answer  your  queries  seriatim. 

'^ist. — The  manuscript  you  refer  to  was  not  marked 
on  the  outside  or  inside  'Manuscript  Found. ^  It  was  a 
common-place  story  of  some  Indian  wars  along  the 
borders  of  our  Great  Lakes,  between  the  Chicagoes  and 
Eries,  as  I  now  recollect — not  in  Bible  style — but  purely 
modern. 

''2d. — It  was  not  the  original  'Manuscript  Found,' 
and  I  do  not  believe  Hurlbut  ever  had  it. 

"3d. — I  never  saw  or  heard  read  the  'Manuscript 
Found,'  but  have  seen  five  or  six  persons  who  had,  and 
from  their  testimony,  concluded  it  was  very  much  like 
the  Mormon  Bible. 

"4th. — Never  succeeded  in  finding  out  anything 
more  than  was  detailed  in  my  book  of  exposure  pub- 
lished about  fifty  years  ago. 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  381. 

''5th.  — The  manuscript  that  came  into  my  posses- 
sion I  suspect  was  destroyed  by  fire  forty  years  ago. 

"I  think  there  has  been  much  mist  thrown  around 
the  whole  subject  of  the  origin  of  the  Mormon  Bible 
and  the  'Manuscript  Found,'  by  the  several  statements 
that  have  been  made  by  those  who  have  been  endeavor- 
ing to  solve  the  problem  after  sleeping  quietly  for  half  a 
century.  Every  effort  was  made  to  unravel  the  mystery 
at  the  time,  when  nearly  all  the  parties  were  on  earth, 
and  the  result  published  at  the  time,  and  I  think  it  all 
folly  to  try  to  dig  out  anything  more. 
"Yours,    etc., 

"E.  D.  Howe." 

Howe  being  unable  to  use  the  manuscript  to  defeat 
the  Book  of  Mormon,  suppressed  it  and  concluded  that 
"much  mist"  has  been  thrown  around  the  "whole  sub- 
ject," and  that  "every  effort  had  been  made  to  unravel 
the  mystery  at  the  time." 

The  "mist  has  cleared  away!"  Extracts  from 
Prof.  J.  H.  Fairchild  and  L.  L.  Rice  on  the  matter: 

"  'There  seems  no  reason  to  doubt  that  this  is  the 
long-lost  story.  Mr.  Rice,  myself,  and  others,  com- 
pared it  with  the  Book  of  Mormon,  and  could  detect 
no  resemblance  between  the  two,  in  general  or  in  detail. 
There  seems  to  be  no  name  or  incident  common  to  the 
two.  The  solemn  style  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  in 
imitation  of  the  English  Scriptures,  does  not  appear  in 
the  manuscript.  The  only  resemblance  is  in  the  fact 
that  both  profess  to  set  forth  the  history  of  lost  tribes. 
Some  other  explanation  of  the  origin  of  the  Book  of 
Mormon  must  be  found,  if  any  explanation  is  required.' 
Signed,  James  H.  Fairchild." — Bibliotheca  Sacra, 
P-  173- 


382.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

''Honolulu,  Sandwich   Islands, 

"March  28th,  1885. 

"iMr.  Joseph  Smith: — The  Spaulding  Manuscript 
in  my  possession  came  into  my  hands  in  this  wise.  In 
1839-40  my  partner  and  myself  bought  of  E.  D.  Howe, 
the  Painesville  Telegraph,  published  at  Painesvile, 
Ohio.  The  transfer  of  the  printing  department,  types, 
press,  etc.,  was  accompanied  with  a  large  collection  of 
books,  manuscripts,  etc.,  this  manuscript  of  Spaulding 
among  the  rest.  So,  you  see,  it  has  been  in  my  posses- 
sion over  forty  years.  But  I  never  examined  it,  or 
knew  the  character  of  it,  until  some  six  or  eight  months 
since.  The  wrapper  was  marked,  'Manuscript  Story — 
Conneaut  Creek.'  The  wonder  is,  that  in  some  of  my 
movements,  I  did  not  destroy  it  with  a  large  amount  of 
rubbish  that  had  accumulated  from  time  to  time. 

"It  happened  that  President  Fairchild  was  here  on 
a  visit  at  the  time  I  discovered  the  contents  of  it,  and 
it  was  examined  by  him  and  others  with  much  curiosity. 
Since  President  Fairchild  published  the  fact  of  its 
existence  in  my  possession,  I  have  had  application  for 
it  from  half  a  dozen  sources,  each  applicant  seeming  to 
think  that  he  or  she  was  entitled  to  it.  Mr.  Howe  says 
he  was  getting  up  a  book  to  expose  Mormonism  as  a 
fraud  at  an  early  day,  when  the  Mormons  had  their 
headquarters  at  Kirtland,  he  obtained  it  from  some 
source,  and  it  was  inadvertently  transferred  with  the 
other  effects  of  his  printing  office.  A.  B.  Deming,  of 
Painesville,  who  is  also  getting  up  some  kind  of  a  book, 
I  believe  on  Mormonism,  wants  me  to  send  it  to  him. 
Mrs.  Dickinson,  of  Boston,  claiming  to  be  a  relative  of 
Spaulding,  and  who  is  getting  up  a  book  to  show  that 
he  was  the  real   author  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  wants 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  383. 

it.  She  thinks,  at  least,  it  should  be  sent  to  Spaulding's 
daughter,  a  Mrs.  Somebody — but  she  does  not  inform 
me  where  she  lives. .  Deming  says  that  Howe  borrowed 
it  when  he  was  getting  up  his  book,  and  did  not  return 
it,  as  he  should  have  done,  etc. 

"This  manuscript  does  not  purport  to  be  'a  story 
of  the  Indians  formerly  occupying  this  continent,'  but 
is  a  history  of  the  wars  between  the  Indians  of  Ohio  and 
Kentucky,  and  their  progress  in  civilization,  etc.  It  is 
certain  that  this  manuscript  is  not  the  origin  of  the  Mor- 
mon Bible,  whatever  some  other  manuscript  may  have 
been.  The  only  similarity  between  them,  is,  in  the 
manner  in  which  each  purports  to  have  been  found — 
one  in  a  cave  on  Conneaut  Creek — the  other  in  a  hill  in 
Ontario  county,  New  York.  There  is  no  identity  of 
names,  of  persons  or  places;  and  there  is  no  similarity 
of  style  between  them.  As  I  told  Mr.  Deming,  I  should 
as  soon  think  the  Book  of  Revelations  was  written  by 
the  author  of  Don  Quixotte,  as  that  the  writer  of  this 
Manuscript  was  the  author  of  the  Book  of  Mormon.  *  * 

''Deming  and  Howe  inform  me  that  its  existence  is 
exciting  great  interest  in  that  region.  I  am  under  a 
tacit,  but  not  a  positive  pledge  to  President  Fairchild, 
to  deposit  it  eventually  in  the  Library  of  Oberlin  Col- 
lege. I  shall  be  free  from  that  pledge  when  I  see  an 
opportunity  to  put  it  to  better  use. 

"Yours,    etc., 

"L.   L.  RlCE. 

"P.  S. — Upon  reflection,  since  writing  the  forego- 
ing, I  am  of  the  opinion  that  no  one  who  reads  this 
Manuscript  will  give  credit  to  the  story  that  Solomon 
Spaulding  was  in  any  wise  the  author  of  the  Book  of 
Mormon.       It  is   unlikely   that  any   one  who   wrote  so 


384.  COMPENDIUxM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

elaborate  a  work  as  the  Mormon  Bible,  would  spend  his 
time  in  getting  up  so  shallow  a  story  as  this,  which  at 
best  is  but  a  feeble  imitation  of  the  other.  Finally  I 
am  more  than  half  convinced  that  this  is  his  only  writ- 
ing of  the  sort,  and  that  any  pretence  that  Spaulding 
was  in  any  sense  the  author  of  the  other,  is  a  sheer  fab- 
rication. It  was  easy  for  anybody  who  may  have  seen 
this,  or  heard  anything  of  its  contents,  to  get  up  the 
story  that  they  were  identical.  L.  L.  R." 

Now  the  following  extract: 

"Honolulu,  Sandwich  Islands,  May  14th,  1885. 
"Mr.  Joseph  Smith. 

"Dear  Sir: — I  am  greatly  obliged  to  you  for  the 
information  concerning  Mormonism  in  your  letters  of 
April  30th  and  May  2d.  As  I  am  in  no  sense  a  Mor- 
monite,  of  course  it  is  a  matter  of  curiosity,  mainly, 
that  I  am  interested  in  the  history  of  Mormonism. 

"Two  things  are  true  concerning  this  manuscript  in 
my  possession:       First,  it  is  a  genuine   writing  of  Solo 
mon   Spaulding:   and   second,  it   is  not  the   original   of 
the  Book  of  Mormon.  Very  respectfully  yours, 

"L.  L.  Rice." 

In  a  postscript  Mr.  Rice  says  he  found  the  follow- 
ing endorsement  on  the  manuscript: 

"The  writings  of  Solomon  Spaulding,  proved  by 
Aaron  Wright,  Oliver  Smith,  John  N.  Miller  and  others. 
The  testimonies  of  the  above  named  gentlemen  are  now 
in  my  possession.  (Signed)     D.   P.  Hurlbut." 

Extract  from  Mr.  Rice's  letter: 

"Honolulu,  H.  L,  June  12,  1885, 
"President  J.  H.    Fairchild: — Herewith  I  send 
you  the  Solomon  Spaulding  Manuscript,  to  be  deposited 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  385 

in  the  Library  of  Oberlin  College,  for  reference  by  any 

one  who  may  be  desirous  of  seeing  or  examining  it.   *  * 

"Truly  yours,  etc., 

*'L.  L.  Rice." 

''Oberlin  College,  Oberlin,  O., 

"July  23,  1885. 
"I  hav^e  this  day  delivered  to  Mr.  E.  L.  Kelley  a 
copy  of  the  Manuscript  of  Solomon  Spaulding,  sent  from 
Honolulu  by  Mr,  L.  L.  Rice,  to  the  Library  of  Oberlin 
College,  for  safe  keeping,  and  now  in  my  care.  The 
copy  was  prepared  at  Mr.  Kelley's  request,  under  my 
supervision,  and  is,  as  I  believe,  an  exact  transcript  of 
the  original  manuscript,  including  erasures,  misspel- 
lings, etc.  Jas.  H.  Fairchild, 

"Prest.  of  Oberlin   College." 

The  correspondence  in  full  on  the  matter,  from 
these  gentlemen,  is  contained  in  the  "Manuscript 
Found,"  published  from  the  copy  President  Fairchild 
prepared.  Can  be  bought  at  Herald  Ofifice,  Lamoni, 
Iowa,  at  25  cents. 

This  entire  batch  of  Spaulding  story  nonsense  and 
alleged  evidences  in  support  of  it  was  exposed  by  Ben- 
jamin Winchester  in  a  pamphlet  in  1840,  at  Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania;  by  John  E.  Page  in  a  pamphlet  in  1843, 
at  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  and  by  various  others  at 
divers  times  and  places,  especially  in  the  Braden-Kel- 
ley  debate  on  sale  at  Herald  Office,  Lamoni,  Iowa; 
also  White-Box  debate  on  sale  at  Ensign  Office,  Inde- 
pendence, Missouri  Also  treated  in  brief  in  J.  R. 
Lambert's  late  work  issued  at  Herald  Office,  entitled 
"Objections  to  the  Book  of  Mormon  and  Doctrine  and 
Covenants  Examined  and  Refuted." 


386,  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 


CHAPTER  V. 

TESTIMONY     AND    AFFIDAVITS. 

testimony  of  katherine  salisbury. 

''State  of  Illinois,  [ 
^'Kendall  County.  \  ^^■ 

"I,  Katherine  Salisbury,  being  duly  sworn,  depose 
and  say,  that  I  am  a  resident  of  the  State  of  Illinois, 
and  have  been  for  forty  years  last  past;  that  I  will  be 
sixty-eight  years  of  age,  July  28th,  1881. 

''That  I  am  a  daughter  of  Joseph  Smith,  senior, 
and  a  sister  to  Joseph  Smith,  Jr.,  the  translator  of  the 
Book  of  Mormon.  That  at  the  time  the  said  book  was 
published,  I  was  seventeen  years  of  age;  that  at  the 
time  of  the  publication  of  said  book,  my  brother, 
Joseph  Smith,  Jr.,  lived  in  the  family  of  my  father,  in 
the  town  of  Manchester,  Ontario  county,  New  York, 
and  that  he  had,  all  of  his  life  to  this  time  made  his 
home  with  the  family. 

"That  at  the  time,  and  for  years  prior  thereto,  I 
lived  in  and  was  a  member  of  such  family,  and  person- 
ally knowing  to  the  things  transacted  in  said  family, 
and  those  who  visited  at  my  father's  house,  and  the 
friends  of  the  family,  and  the  friends  and  acquaintances 
of  my  brother,  Joseph'  Smith,  Jr.,  who  visited  at  or 
came  to  my  father's  house. 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  387 

"That  prior  to  the  latter  part  of  the  year  A.  D. 
1830,  there  was  no  person  who  visited  with,  or  was  an 
acquaintance  of,  or  called  upon  the  said  family,  or  any 
member  thereof  to  ray  knowledge,  by  the  name  of  Sid- 
ney Rigdon;  nor  was  such  person  known  to  the  family, 
or  any  member  thereof,  to  my  knowledge,  until  the  last 
part  of  the  year  A.  D.  1830,  or  the  first  part  of  the 
year  1831,  and  some  time  after  the  organization  of  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ,  by  Joseph  Smith,  Jr.,  and  sev- 
eral months  after  the  publication  of  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon. 

"That  I  remember  the  time  when  Sidney  Rigdon 
came  to  my  father's  place,  and  that  it  was  after  the 
removal  of  my  father  from  Waterloo,  N.  Y.,  to  Kirt- 
land,  Ohio.  That  this  was  in  the  year  183 1,  and  some 
months  after  the  publication  of  the  Book  of  Mormon, 
and  fully  one  year  after  the  Church  was  organized,  as 
before  stated  herein. 

"That  1  make  this  statement,  not  on  account  of 
fear,  favor,  or  hope  of  reward  of  any  kind,  but  simply 
that  the  truth  may  be  known  with  reference  to  said 
matter,  and  that  the  foregoing  statements  made  by  me 
are  true,  as  I  verily  believe. 

"Katherine  Salisbury. 

"Sworn  to  before  me,  and  subscribed  in  my  pres- 
ence, by  the  said  Katherine  Salisbury,  this  15th  day  of 
April,  A.  D.   1881. 

"J.  H.  Jenks,  Notary  Public." 

"Princeville,  111.,  March  14th,  1872. 

"Bro.    Joseph: — I   learn  of  late   that  some  of  the 

opposers  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day 

Saints  are  resorting  to  an  old   story,   that  the  Book  of 

Mormon   was   manufactured   from   a    romance    of    one 


^S8.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

Solomon  Spaulding,  and  was  accomplished  by  one  Sid- 
ney Rigdon.   *  * 

''In  the  spring  of  1833  or  1834,  at  the  house  of 
Samuel  Baker,  near  New  Portage,  Medina  county, 
Ohio,  we,  whose  signatures  are  affixed,  did  hear  Elder 
Sidney  Rigdon,  in  the  presence  of  a  large  congregation, 
say  he  had  been  informed  that  some  in  the  neighbor- 
hood had  accused  him  of  being  the  instigator  of  the 
Book  of  Mormon.  Standing  in  the  door- way,  there 
being  many  standing  in  the  door-yard,  he,  holding  up 
the  Book  of  Mormon,  said,  'I  testify  in  the  presence 
of  this  congregation,  and  before  God  and  all  the  Holy 
Angels  up  yonder,  (pointing  towards  heaven),  before 
whom  I  expect  to  give  account  at  the  judgment  day, 
that  I  never  saw  a  sentence  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  I 
never  penned  a  sentence  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  I 
never  knew  that  there  was  such  a  book  in  existence  as 
the  Book  of  Mormon,  until  it  was  presented  to  me  by 
Parley  P.  Pratt,  in  the  form  that  it  now  is.' 

''Phineas  Bronson, 
*'HiEL  Bronson, 
"Mary  D.  Bronson. 
''Brother    Hiel    thinks  it  was  in    1834,   but    sister 
Mary,  his  wife,  and  I,  think  it  was  in   1833,  ^^  ^^  have 
put  it  in  1833  or   1834. 

"Phineas  Bronson." 
Herald,  June  6,  1891. 

"Statement  of  William  B.  Smith,  the  surviving 
brother  of  Joseph  and  Hyrum  Smith,  who  in  the  clos- 
ing years  of  a  long  life  is  waiting  the  summons  of  the 
pale  reaper  to  call  him  to  his  answer  and  his  rest: 

K  <*  *  j^Q  such  man  as  Elder  Rigdon  ever  visited 
my  father's  house,  to   my  certain  knowledge,   prior  to 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  389. 

the  publication  of  the  Book  of  Mormon.  And  the  first 
knowledge  I  ever  had  of  Elder  Rigdon  was  not  until  it 
was  publicly  announced  that  he  had  become  a  convert 
to  the  faith  and  doctrine  of  Mormonism,  through  the 
instrumentality  of  P.  P.  Pratt  and  Oliver  Cowdery,  who 
had  presented  him  with  the  Book  of  Mormon  while  on 
a  mission  from  the  state  of  New  York  to  the  town  of 
Kirtland,  state  of  Ohio,  where  Elder  Rigdon  at  the  time 
held  a  prominent  position- as  a  Disciple  minister  in  the 
Christian  Church.  *  *  No  stranger  from  a  distance 
could  have  visited  your  father,  holding  private  or  pub- 
lic conference  with  him,  without  the  family  knowing  it; 
and  to  my  certain  knowledge  no  strangers  visited  about 
my  father's  house  during  that  period  of  time  in  which 
the  work  of  translating  the  found  record  was  going  on. 
"  'Witness  my  testimony  and  seal, 

'*  'W.  B.  Smith.'  " 
Herald,  June  6,  1891. 

The  following  is  from  the  Braden-Kelley  debate, 
at  Lamoni,  Iowa,  1891,  as  reported  by  the  Independent 
Patriot: 

Kelley.  —  ''I  will  offer  an  affidavit  of  Jno.  W. 
'Rigdon,  son  of  Sidney  Rigdon,  a  lawyer  of  Cuba,  New- 
York.  This  affidavit  was  given  a  short  time  ago.  Sub- 
scribed and  sworn  to  before  me  this  17  of  April,  1891. 
W.  F.  Bement,  Notary  Public.  Seal.  I  read  this  to 
show  yoa  where  his  witnesses  are  with  reference  to  this 
matter. 

''[AH  testimony  condensed.] 

"About  1832,  while  my  father  was  preaching  at 
Mentor,  O.,  Martin  Harris  and  Oliver  Cowdery  called 
upon  him  and  presented  to  him  the  Book  of  Mormon, 
and   told  him  it  was  found   by  Joseph   Smith   engraved 


390.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

on  gold  plates,  and  that  Smith  translated  the  engrav- 
ings, and  the  book  was  a  true  translation.  That  they 
had  seen  the  plates,  that  Harris  had  written  the  transla- 
tion given  by  Joseph  Smith.  They  asked  him  to  read 
it  and  give  them  his  opinion  of  it.  He  gave  them  per- 
mission to  preach  in  his  church,  and  went  to  hear  them. 
At  the  close  he  told  the  congregation  that  they  had 
listened  to  some  strange  doctrine,  but  it  was  their  duty 
to  investigate.  Cowdery  and  Harris  left  next  morning, 
but  returned  in  about  six  weeks.  They  asked  my  father 
if  he  had  read  the  book,  and  he  said  he  had.  They 
asked  what  he  thought  of  it.  He  asked  if  Joseph 
Smith  was*a  man  of  intelligence  Cowdery  said  Smith 
had  about  as  much  knowledge  as  he  had.  Father  re- 
plied if  that  was  the  case  Smith  was  not  the  author  of 
the  book. 

"Some  time  after  this  father  met  Joseph  Smith 
for  the  first  time  in  the  state  of  New  York.  After  being 
in  Smith's  company  for  some  time,  he  joined  the  Mor- 
mon Church,  removed  to  Kirtland,  and  began  preach- 
ing Mormonism.  He  afterward  went  to  Missouri, 
thence  to  Nauvoo,  111.  After  Smith's  death,  my  father 
claimed  it  was  his  right  to  lead  the  church,  but  B.^ 
Young  was  chosen.  In  1847,  father  removed  to  Friend- 
ship, New  York,  where  he  remained  until  his  death, 
July  14,  1876,  aged  84.  He  retired  to  private  life  after 
removing  to  Friendship.  Would  occasionally  lecture. 
Large  crowds  always  came  out  when  it  was  announced 
that  he  would  speak.  By  his  calm  and  dignified  de 
meanor  he  gained  the  respect  of  all. 

'Tn  answer  to  the  statements  of  Clark  Braden  in 
'Saints'  Herald,'  under  'Christianity  vs.  Mormonism,' 
I  have  only  to  quote  Horatio  Seymour  who  pronounced 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  39 1. 

Rigdon  a  very  eloquent  man;  Martin  Grover,  one  of 
New  York's  greatest  jurists,  who  said  Sidney  Rigdon's 
knowledge  of  the  history  of  the  world,  and  the  political 
history  of  our  country,  was  perfectly  surprising  to  him, 
and  that  he  was  a  very  learned  and  eloquent  man. 
Prof.  Hatch  frequently  said  Rigdon  was  the  best  histor- 
ian he  ever  saw  and  one  of  the  most  eloquent  men  he 
ever  listened  to.  Also  Rev.  Braden's  statements  about 
Rigdon's  extravagant  yarns,  highfalutin  rant,  his  visions, 
the  power  while  speaking,  and  falling  in  trances  in  the 
pulpit,  have  no  truth  in  them  whatever. 

''Sidney  Rigdon  was  a  devout  Christian  from  his 
youth  to  his  grave.  He  preached  and  talked  the  Bible 
on  all  occasions  when  necessary,  to  his  children  and 
all.  He  died  having  a  firm  belief  in  the  Christian  re- 
ligion. I  never  knew  one  who  was  a  stronger  believer 
in  the  Christian  religion  than  he.  I  therefore  pro- 
nounce such  assertions  as  positively  untrue. 

"I  am  probably  better  acquainted  with  S.  Rigdon 
than  any  living  person.  Had  better  opportunities 
through  business  and  family  relations  to  know  his  char- 
acter, history,  and  religious  belief  than  any  one  else. 
Religion  was  his  favorite  theme. 

'*0n  returning  from  Salt  Lake  City  in  1865,  where 
I  had  interviews  with  the  leading  dignitaries  of  the 
Mormon  Church  at  that  place  on  the  subject  of  Mor- 
monism  and  the  Book  of  Mormon,  I  asked  my  father 
to  tell  me  the  facts  as  to  the  production  of  this  book. 
My  father  stated  that  all  he  knew  of  the  origin  of  the 
book  was  what  Harris,  Cowdery  and  J.  Smith  told  him. 
That  Smith  during  the  fifteen  years  he  was  intimate  with 
him,  never  stated  anything  else  than  that  he  found  it 
engraven  on  gold  plates  which  he  found  in  a  hill  in  New 


392.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

York.  He  said  after  investigation  he  was  confident 
that  the  story  about  Spaulding  writing  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon was  untrue.  He  said  the  story  about  his  writing 
the  book  was  false.  That  he  never  saw  the  book  until 
it  was  presented  to  him  by  Oliver  Cowdery  at  Mentor, 
O.  Knowing  my  father  as  I  do,  I  am  confident  he 
told  me  the  truth. 

"My  father  never  saw  Solomon  Spaulding  in  his 
life,  nor  did  he  steal  any  of  his  MSS.  as  stated  by  Rev. 
Braden. 

''My  mother  survived  my  father  about  ten  years. 
After  father's  death,  in  conversation  with  her  about  the 
Book  of  Mormon,  she  always  told  me  that  my  father 
obtained  it  from  Cowdery  and  Harris  at  Mentor,  O., 
and  that  the  stories  about  father  having  written  it  were 
untrue.  Father  and  mother  told  me  this  same  story  in. 
my  youth  and  manhood,  and  they  told  it  in  their  old 
age,  and  they  never  told  any  other.  I  am  not  a  mem- 
ber of  any  religious  denomination,  and  do  not  pretend 
to  say  how  that  book  came  into  existence.  But  I  am 
as  certain  as  that  I  exist,  that  S.  Rigdon  never  wrote 
any  part  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  and  that  he  never 
saw  it  until  Harris  and  Cowdery  presented  it  to  him  at 
Mentor,  O." 

This  affidavit  shows  up  all  these  tales  from  Howe's 
work.  This  man  testifies  to  nothing  but  what  he  knows. 
And  the  way  he  writes  and  the  intelligence  he  was  shown 
in  getting  up  his  own  affidavit  that  his  father  might  be 
placed  correctly  before  the  world,  show  that  he  is  a  gen- 
tleman in  the  highest  sense. 

Extract  from  Elder  E.  L.  Kelley's  article  to  Herald, 
bearing  date  November  7,  1894: 

''Whatever    may    have    been    the    opinion    of    the 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  393 

enemies  of  Elder  Rigdon  touching  his  bold  denuncia- 
tion of  the  story  implicating  him  in  plotting  or  aiding 
in  anywise  in  the  production  of  the  Book  of  Mormon, 
it  must  be  admitted  that  all  subsequently  discovered 
facts  corroborate  the  statements  of  the  witness,  Rigdon, 
and  are  at  variance  with  the  questionable  yarns  hawked 
about  the  world  by  the  enemies  of  this  man,  who  hoped 
to  accomplish  by  these  tales  his  overthrow,  together 
with  the  new  faith  which  he  had  espoused. 

''The  times  and  places  definitely  settled  by  this 
corroborative  evidence,  as  to  the  whereabouts,  occupa- 
tion, and  business  of  Elder  Rigdon  during  the  years 
mentioned,  are  as  follows: 

"I.  November  2,  1826.  Solemnized  a  marriage 
contract  between  John  G.  Smith  and  Julia  Giles,  in 
Geauga  county,  Ohio. 

'*2.  December  [3,  1826.  Returns  and  record  of 
marriage. 

''3.  January,  1827.  Held  public  meetings  in 
Mantua,  Ohio.  ('Hayden's  History  of  the  Disciples  of 
the  Western  Reserve,*  page  237.) 

"4.  February,  1827.  Preached  funeral  discourse 
of  Hannah  Tanner,  Chester,  Ohio. 

*'5.  March,  April,  1827.  Held  protracted  meet- 
ings in  Mentor,  Ohio,  baptizing  Nancy  M.  Sanford, 
William  Dunsen  and  wife  and  others. 

"6.  June  5,  1827.  Solemnized  Marriage  between 
Theron    Freeman    and    Elizabeth    Waterman,    Geauga 

Baptized  Thomas  Clapp  and 

Solemnized  marriage  between 
James  Gray  and  Mary  Kerr,  Mentor,  Ohio. 


county, 

Ohio. 

"7' 

.   June  I 

5,  1827 

others, 

Mentor, 

Ohio. 

'^S. 

.    July  3: 

,  1827. 

394-  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

"9.  July  19,  1827.  Solemnized  marriage  between 
Alden  Snow  and  Ruth  Parker,  Kirtland,  Ohio. 

"10.  August  23,  [827.  Meeting  with  the  minis- 
terial  Association,    New    Lisbon,    Ohio.       (Hist.    Dis., 

PP-  55-57- 

"II.  October  9,  1827.  Solemnized  marriage  of 
Stephen  Sherman  and  Wealthy  Matthews,  Mentor, 
Ohio. 

"12.  October  20,  1827.  Ministerial  Council  at 
Warren,  Ohio.      (His.  Dis.  p.   137.) 

''13.  November,  1827.  Preaching  at  New  Lisbon, 
Ohio.      (His.  Dis.,  pp.  72-75.) 

"14.  December  6,  1827.  Solemnized  marriage  of 
Oliver  Wait  and  Eliza  Gunn,  at  Concord,  Geauga 
county,  Ohio. 

"15.  December  i^,  1827.  Solemnized  marriage 
of  Roswell  D.  Cottrell  and  Matilda  Olds,  Concord, 
Ohio. 

''16.  January  8,  1828.  Return  of  marriage  made 
at  Chardon,  Ohio. 

''17.  February  14,  1828.  Solemnized  marriage 
between  Otis  Herrington,  Lyma  Corning,  Mentor,  Ohio. 

"18.  March,  1828.  Instructing  class  in  theology 
in  Mentor,  Ohio,  Zebulon  Rudolph  being  a  member; 
also  held  great  religious  meetings  in  Mentor  and  War- 
ren, Ohio.      (His.      Dis.,  p.   198.) 

"19.  March  31,  1828.  Ret'irns  made  to  Chardon, 
Ohio. 

''20.  April,  1828.  Holds  great  religious  revival  at 
Kirtland,  Ohio.      (His.  Dis.,  p.  194.) 

''21.  May,  1828.  Meets  Campbell  at  Shalersvilie, 
Ohio,  and  holds  protracted  meetings.  (His.  Dis.,  p. 
1550 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDEN'CE,  395. 

^^22.  June,  1828.  Baptized  Henry  H.  Clapp, 
Mentor,  Ohio. 

"23.  August,  1828.  Attended  great  yearly  asso- 
ciation at  Warren,  Ohio. 

"24.  September,  1828.  Solemnized  marriage  be- 
tween Luther  Dille  and  Clarissa  Kent. 

"25.  September  18,  1828.  Solemnized  marriage 
between  Nachore  Corning  and  Pluebe  E.  Wilson,  Men- 
tor, Ohio. 

''26.  October  13,  1828.  Returns  made  to  Char- 
don,.  Ohio. 

'•27.  January  i,  1829.  Solemnized  marriage  be- 
tween Albert  Churchill  and  Anna  Fosdick,  Concord, 
Ohio. 

"28.  February  i,  1829.  Solemnized  marriage  be- 
tween Erastus  Root  and  Rebecca  Tuttle. 

''29.  February  12,  1829.  Returns  made  to  Char- 
don,  Ohio. 

'^30.  March,  1829.  Protracted  meeting.  Mentor, 
Ohio. 

•'31.  April  12,  1829.  Protracted  meeting,  Kirt- 
land,  Ohio. 

''32.  July  I,  1829.  Organized  church  at  Perry, 
Ohio.      (His.  Dis.,  p.  346.) 

^^2)2)'  August  13,  1829.  Solemnized  marriage  be- 
tween John  Strong  and  Ann  Eliza  Moore,  Kirtland,  Ohio. 

"34.  September  14,  1829.  Solemnized  marriage 
between  Darwin  Atwater  and  Harriet  Clapp,  Mentor, 
Ohio. 

"35-  September,  1829.  Meeting  at  Mentor,  Ohio; 
baptized  J.  J.  Moss,  disciple  minister  of  note. 

"36.  October  i,  1829.  Solemnized  marriage  be- 
tween Joel  Roberts  and  Relief  Bates,  Perry,  Ohio. 


396.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

"37.  October,  1829.  At  Perry,  Ohio.  (His.  Dis., 
pp.  207-409.) 

''38.  November,  1829.  Wait  Hill,  Ohio;  baptized 
Alvin  Wait.      (His.  Dis.,  pp.  204-207.) 

"39.  December  31,  1829.  Solemnized  marriage 
between  David  Cloudier  and  Polly  Johnson,  Chagrin, 
Ohio. 

*'4o.  January  12,  1830.  Returns  to  Cleveland, 
Ohio. 

"41.    March  1830.      Mentor,  Ohio. 

"42.  June  1-30,  1830.  Mentor,  Ohio.  (Millen- 
nial Harbinger,  p.  389.) 

"43.  July,  1830.  Protracted  meeting  at  Pleasant 
Valley,  Ohio;  baptized  forty-five. 

"44.  August,  1830.  With  Alexander  Campbell  at 
Austintown,  Ohio.      (His.  Dis.,  p.  209.) 

"45.  November  4,  1830.  Solemnized  marriage 
between  Lewis  B.  Wood  and  Laura  Cleveland,  Kirt- 
land,  Ohio. 

"46.  December,  1830.  Was  converted  to  the 
faith  of  and  united  with  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter  Day  Saints,  under  the  preaching  of  P.  P.  Pratt 
and  Oliver  Cowdery. 

"The  following  certificates  of  the  proper  officers, 
touching  the  record — evidence  of  the  marriages,  will 
show  the  correctness  of  transcript  as  to  these  dates: 

*'The  State  of  Ohio,  )  cc    ti     u  *    /- 
,,^  ^  '  y  SS.  Probate  Court. 

''Geauga  county,  j 

''1,  H.  K.  Smith,  Judge  of  the  Probate  Court  in 
and  for  said  county,  hereby  certify  that  the  above  and 
foregoing  certificate,  numbering  from  one  to  sixteen 
were  truly  taken  and  copied  from  the  record  of  mar- 
riages in  this  county,  preserved  in  this  office,  where  the 
same,  by  law,  are  required   to  be  kept.       In   testimony 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  397. 

whereof,  I  have  hereunto   set  my   hand  and  affixed  the 
seal  of  said  court,  at  Chardon,  this   27th  day   of  April, 
A.  D.,  1891. 
^'(SEAL)         (Signed)     H.  K.  Smith,  Probate  Judge. 

<'IN    THE    PROBATE    COURT. 

"State  of  Ohio,  /  g    g 

"Cuyahoga  County,  j 

"I,  Henry  C.  White,  judge  of  said  court,  do  here- 
by certify  that  the  foregoing  is  a  true  and  correct  tran- 
script taken  from  the  marriage  records  in  this  office, 
where  the  same  is  by  law  required  to  be  kept. 

"(Signed)      Henry  C.  White,  Probate  Judge. 
"(seal)  By  H.  A.  Schwab,  Dp.  Clk." 

EMMA    smith's    TESTIMONY. 

Interview  with  Emma  Smith  shortly  before  her 
death,  April  30,  1879: 

"Question. — W^ho  performed  the  marriage  cere- 
mony for  Joseph  Smith  and  Emma  Hale?  When? 
Where? 

"Answer. — I  was  married  at  South  Bainbridge, 
New  York;  at  the  house  of  Squire  Tarbell,  by  him, 
when  I  was  in  my  22d  or  23d  year. 

"We  here  suggested  that  Mother  Smith's  History 
gave  the  date  of  the  marriage  as  January  i8th,  1827. 
To  this  she  replied: 

"I  think  the  date  correct.  My  certificate  of  mar- 
riage was  lost  many  years  ago,  in  some  of  the  marches 
we  were  forced  to  make. 

"In  answer  to  a  suggestion  by  us  that  she  might 
mistake  about  who  married  father  and  herself,  and  that 
it  was  rumored  that  it  was  Sidney  Rigdon,  or  a  Presby- 
terian clergyman,  she  stated: 

"It  was  not  Sidney  Rigdon,  for  I  did  not  see  him 
for  years  after  that.       It  was  not  a  Presbyterian  clergy- 


398.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

man.  I  was  visiting  at  Mr.  Stowell's,  who  lived  in 
Bainbridge,  and  saw  your  father  there.  I  had  no  in- 
tention of  marrying  when  I  left  home,  but,  during  my 
visit  at  Mr.  Stowell's,  your  father  visited  me  there. 
My  folks  were  bitterly  opposed  to  him,  and,  being  im- 
portuned by  your  father,  aided  by  Mr.  Stowell  who 
urged  me  to  marry  him,  and  p-referring  to  marry  him 
to  any  other  man  I  knew,  I  consented.  We  went  to 
Squire  TarbelPs  and  were  married.  Afterwards,  when 
father  found  that  I  was  married,  ■^le  sent  for  us.  The 
account  in  Mother  Smith's  History  is  substantially  cor- 
rect as  to  date  and  place.  Your  father  bought  your 
uncle  Jesse's  [Hale]  place,  off  father's  farm,  and  we 
lived  there  till  the  Book  of  Mormon  was  translated,  and 
I  think,  published.      I  was  not  in  Palmyra  long. 

''Q.  How  many  children  did  you  lose,  mother, 
before  I  was  born? 

"A.  There  were  three.  I  buried  one  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  a  pair  of  twins  in  Ohio. 

"Q.    Who  were  the  twins  that  died? 

"A.   They  were  not  named. 

''Q.   Who  were  the  twins  whom  you  took  to  raise? 

''A.  I  lost  twins.  Mrs.  Murdock  had  twins  and 
died.  Bro.  Murdock  came  to  me  and  asked  me  to  take 
them,  and  I  took  the  babes  Joseph  died  at  eleven 
months.  They  were  both  sick  when  your  father  was 
mobbed.  The  mob  who  tarred  and  feathered  him,  left 
the  door  open  when  they  went  out  with  him,  the  child 
relapsed  and  died.  Julia  lived,  though  weaker  than  the 
boy. 

'^Q.  When  did  you  first  know  Sidney  Rigdon? 
Where? 

''A.   I  was  residing  at  father  Whitmer's,    when   I 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  599. 

first    saw    Sidney    Rigdon.        I    think    he    came    there. 

'*Q.  Was  this  before  or  after  the  publication  of 
the  Book  of  Mormon? 

"A.  The  Book  of  Mormon  had  been  translated  and 
published  some  time  before.  Parley  P.  Pratt  had  united 
with  the  Church  before  I  knew  Sidney  Rigdon,  or  heard 
of  him.  At  the  time  the  Book  of  Mormon  was  trans- 
lated there  was  no  church  organized,  and  Rigdon  did 
not  become  acquainted  with  Joseph  and  me  till  after  the 
Church  was  established  in  1830.  How  long  after  that 
I  do  not  know,  but  it  was  some  time. 

"Q.  Who  were  scribes  for  father,  when  translating 
the  Book  of  Mormon? 

"A.  Myself,  Oliver  Cowdery,  Martin  Harris,  and 
my  brother,  Reuben  Hale. 

"Q.   Was  Alva  Hale  one? 

''A.  I  think  not.  He  may  have  written  some,  but 
if  he  did,  1  do  not  remember  it. 

"Q.  What  about  the  revelation  on  polygamy? 
Did  Joseph  Smith  have  anything  like  it?  What  of 
spiritual  wifery? 

"A.  There  was  no  revelation  on  either  polygamy, 
or  spiritual  wives.  There  were  some  rumors  of  some- 
thing of  the  sort,  of  which  I  asked  my  husband.  He 
assured  me  that  all  there  was  of  it  was,  that,  in  a  chat 
about  plural  wives,  he  had  said,  'Well,  such  a  system 
might  possibly  be,  if  everybody  was  agreed  to  it,  and 
would  behave  as  they  should,  but  they  would  not,  and, 
besides,  it  was  contrary  to  the  will  of  heaven.' 

''No  such  thing  as  polygamy,  or  spiritual  wifery, 
was  taught,  publicly  or  privately,  before  my  husband's 
death,  that  I  have  now,  or  ever  had  any  knowledge  of. 

"Q.   Did  he  not  have  other  wives  than  yourself? 


400.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

^'A.  He  had  no  other  wife  but  me,  nor  did  he  to 
my  knowledge  ever  have. 

''Q.  Did  he  not  hold  marital  relation  with  women 
other  than  yourself? 

"A.  He  did  not  have  improper  relations  with  any 
woman  that  ever  came  to  my  knowledge. 

"Q.  Was  there  nothing  about  spiritual  wives  that 
you  recollect? 

''A.  At  one  time  my  husband  came  to  me  and  asked 
me  if  I  had  heard  certain  rumors  about  spiritual  mar- 
riages or  anything  of  the  kind;  and  assured  me  that  if  I 
had,  that  they  were  without  foundation;  that  there  was 
no  such  doctrine,  and  never  should  be  with  his  knowl- 
edge or  consent.  I  know  that  he  had  no  other  wife  or 
wives  than  myself,  in  any  sense,  either  spiritual  or  other- 
wise. 

''Q.   What  of  the  truth  of  Mormonism? 

"A.  I  know  Mormonism  to  be  the  truth;  and  be- 
lieve the  Church  to  have  been  established  by  divine 
direction.  I  have  complete  faith  in  it.  In  writing  for 
your  father,  I  frequently  wrote  day  after  day,  often  sit- 
ting at  the  table  close  by  him,  he  sitting  with  his  face 
buried  in  his  hat,  with  the  stone  in  it,  and  dictating 
hour  after  hour  with  nothing  between  us. 

"Q.  Had  he  not  a  book  or  manuscript  from  which 
he  read,  or  dictated  to  you? 

♦*A.  He  had  neither  manuscript  nor  book  to  read 
from. 

**Q.    Could  he  not  have  had,  and  you  not  know  it? 

'*A.  If  he  had  had  anything  of  the  kind  he  could 
not  have  concealed  it  from  me. 

''Q.  Are  you  sure  that  he  had  the  plates  at  the 
time  you  were  writing  for  him? 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  4OI. 

*'A.  'I'he  plates  often  lay  on  the  table  without  any 
attempt  at  concealment,  wrapped  in  a  small  linen  table 
cloth,  which  I  had  given  him  to  fold  them  in,  I  once 
felt  of  the  plates,  as  they  thus  lay  on  the  table,  tracing 
their  outline  and  shape.  They  seemed  to  be  pliable 
like"  thick  paper,  and  would  rustle  with  a  metallic  sound 
when  the  edges  were  moved  by  the  thumb,  as  one  does 
sometimes  thumb  the  edges  of  a  book. 

"Q.    Where  did  father  and  Oliver  Cowdery  write? 

"A.  Oliver  Cowdery  and  your  father  wrote  in  the 
room  where  I  was  at  work. 

"Q.  Could  not  father  have  dictated  the  Book  of 
Mormon  to  you,  Oliver  Cowdery  and  the  others  who 
wrote  for  him,  after  having  first  written  it,  or  having 
first  read  it  out  of  some  book? 

''A.  Joseph  Smith  [and  for  the  first  time  she  used 
his  name  direct,  having  usually  used  the  words,  'your 
father,'  or  'my  husband]  could  neither  write  nor  dictate 
a  coherent  and  well- worded  letter,  let  alone  dictating  a 
book  like  the  Book  of  Mormon.  And,  though  I  was  an 
active  participant  in  the  scenes  that  transpired,  and  was 
present  during  the  translation  of  the  plates,  and  had 
cognizance  of  things  as  they  transpired,  it  is  marvelous 
to  me,  'a  marvel  and  a  wonder,'  as  much  so  as  to  any 
one  else. 

*'Q.  I  should  suppose  that  you  would  have  un- 
covered the  plates  and  examined  them? 

''A.  I  did  not  attempt  to  handle  the  plates,  other 
than  I  have  told  you,  nor  uncover  them  to  look  at  them. 
I  was  satisfied  that  it  was  the  work  of  God,  and  there- 
fore did  not  feel  it  to  be  necessary  to  do  so. 

''Major  Bidamon  here  suggested:  Did  Mr.  Smith 
forbid  your  examining  the  plates? 


402.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

"A.  I  do  not  think  he  did,  I  knew  that  he  had 
them,  and  was  not  specially  curious  about  them.  I 
moved  them  from  place  to  place  on  the  table,  as  it  was 
necessary  in  doing  my  work. 

''Q.  Mother,  what  is  your  belief  about  the  authen- 
ticity or  origin  of  the  Book  of  Mormon? 

"A.  My  belief  is  that  the  Book  of  Mormon  is  of 
divine  authenticity — I  have  not  the  slightest  doubt  of  it. 
I  am  satisfied  that  no  man  could  have  dictated  the  writ- 
ing of  the  manuscripts  unless  he  was  inspired;  for, 
when  acting  as  his  scribe,  your  father  would  dictate  to 
me  hour  after  hour,  and  when  returning  after  meals,  or 
after  interruptions,  he  would  at  once  begin  where  he 
had  left  off,  without  either  seeing  the  manuscript  or 
having  any  portion  of  it  read  to  him.  This  was  a  usual 
thing  for  him  to  do.  It  would  have  been  improbable 
that  a  learned  man  could  do  this,  and  for  one  so 
ignorant  and  unlearned  as  he  was,  it  was  simply  im- 
possible. 

''Q.  What  was  the  condition  of  feeling  between 
you  and  father? 

'^A..    It  was  good. 

"Q.   Were  you  in  the  habit  of  quarreling? 

"A.  JNo.  There  was  no  necessity  for  any  quarrel- 
ing. He  knew  that  I  wished  for  nothing  but  what  was 
right,  and,  as  he  wished  for  nothing  else,  we  did  not 
disagree.  He  usually  gave  some  heed  to  what  I  had  to 
say.  It  was  quite  a  grievous  thing  to  many  that  I  had 
any  influence  with  him. 

*'Q.   What  do  you  think  of  David  Whitmer? 

"A.  David  Whitmer  I  believe  to  be  an  honest 
and  truthful  man.  I  think  what  he  states  may  be 
relied  on. 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  403. 

''Q.  It  has  been  stated  sometimes  that  you  aposta- 
tized at  father's  death,  and  joined  the  Methodist  Church. 
What  do  you  say  to  this? 

**A.  I  have  been  called  apostate,  but  I  have  never 
apostatized,  nor  forsaken  the  faith  I  at  first  accepted, 
but  was  called  so  because  I  would  not  accept  their  new 
fangled  notion. 

"Q-  ^y  whom  were  you  baptized?  Do  you  re- 
member? 

"A.    I  think  by  Oliver  Cowdery,  at  Bainbridge. 

''Q.  Vou  say  that  you  were  married  at  South  Bain- 
bridge, and  have  used  the  word  Bainbridge.  Were  they 
one  and  the  same  town? 

"A.  No.  There  was  Bainbridge  and  South  Bain- 
bridge; some  distance  apart;  how  far  I  don't  know.  I 
was  in  South  Bainbridge. 

"These  questions  and  the  answers  she  had  given  to 
them,  were  read  to  my  mother  by  me,  the  day  before 
my  leaving  Nauvoo  for  home,  and  were  affirmed  by  her. 
Major  Bidamon  stated  that  he  had  frequently  conversed 
with  her  on  the  subject  of  the  translation  of  the  Book  of 
Mormon,  and  her  present  answers  were  substantially 
what  she  had  always  stated  in  regard  to  it. 

"Joseph  Smith." 


404.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

EXTRACTS  FROM  GOV.  FORD,  BANCROFT 
AND  MRS.  E.  M.  AUSTIN. 

EXTRACTS    FROM     GOV.     THOMAS    FORD's    HISTORY 
OF       ILLINOIS,        1854. 

'Tn  the  year  1840,  the  people  called  Mormons 
came  to  this  state  and  settled  in  Hancock  county,  and 
as  their  residence  amongst  us  led  to  amobocratic  spirit, 
which  resulted  in  their  expulsion,  it  is  proper  here  to 
notice  other  incidents  of  this  sort  in  our  previous  his- 
tory. In  1816  and  17,  in  the  towns  of  the  territory, 
the  country  was  overrun  with  horsethieves  and  counter- 
feiters. They  were  so  numerous  and  so  well  combined 
together  in  many  counties,  as  to  set  the  laws  at  defiance. 
Many  of  the  sheriffs  and  justices  of  the  peace  were  of 
their  number,  and  even  some  of  the  judges  of  the 
county  courts,  and  they  had  numerous  friends  to  aid 
them  and  sympathize  with  them,  even  amongst  those 
who  were  least  suspected.  When  any  of  them  were 
arrested,  they  escaped  from  the  slight  jails  of  those 
times,  or  procured  some  of  their  gang  to  be  on  the  jury, 
and  they  never  lacked  witnesses  to  prove  themselves 
innocent.  (MS  lacking  page  will  be  found  preceeding 
the  next  in  order  233.)  This  gang  built  a  fort  in  Pope 
county,  and  set  the  government  at  open  defiance.  In 
the  year  1831,  the  honest  portion  of  the  people  in  that 
region  assembled   under  arms,  in  great  numbers,    and 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  405. 

attacked  the  fort  with  small  arms  and  one  piece  of 
artillery." — p.  233. 

"In  1837  a  series  of  mobs  took  place  in  Alton, 
which  resulted  in  the  destruction  of  an  abolition  press, 
and  in  the  death  of  one  of  the  rioters  and  of  one  of  the 
abolitionists."  Then  follows  ten  pages  relating  the  kill- 
ing of  this  abolitionist,  Rev.  Elijah  P.  Lovejoy,  a 
Presbyterian  preacher.  (p.  234).  ''Previous  to  the 
year  1840,  other  mobs  were  rife  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  state."- — p.  245.  ''Then  again,  the  northern  part 
of  the  state  was  not  destitute  of  its  organized  bands  of 
rogues,  engaged  in  murders,  robberies,  horse-stealing 
and  in  making  and  passing  counterfeit  money.  These 
rogues  were  scattered  all  over  the  north,  but  the  most 
of  them  were  located  in  the  counties  of  Ogle,  Winne- 
bago, Lee  and  De  Kalb.  In  the  county  of  Ogle,  they 
were  so  numerous,  strong  and  well  organized,  that  they 
could  not  be  convicted  for  their  crimes." — p.  246. 
Hancock,  where  the  Mormons  lived,  is  not  of  the  num- 
ber. 

Of  Nauvoo  regulations:  "The  common  council 
passed  many  ordinances  for  the  punishment  of  crime. 
The  punishments  were  generally  different  from,  and 
vastly  more  severe  than  the  punishments  provided  by 
the  laws  of  the  state." — p.  266. 

"A  vast  number  of  reports  were  circulated  all  over 
the  country,  to  the  prejudice  of  the  Mormons." — p.  269. 

"The  people  affected  to  believe  that  with  this 
power  in  the  hands  of  an  unscrupulous  leader,  there 
was  no  safety  for  the  lives  or  property  of  any  who 
should  oppose  him.  They  affected,  likewise,  to  believe 
that  Smith  inculcated  the  legality  of  perjury,  or  any 
other   crime    in  defiance,  or  to  advance  the  interest  of 


4o6.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

true  believers.  *  *  It  was  likewise  asserted."  *  * 
p.  327.  The  readers  attention  is  called  to  the  phrases  in 
the  above,  ''affected  to  believe,"  "affected  likewise  to 
believe,"  ''it  was  likewise  asserted." 

"This  one  principle  and  practice  of  theirs  arrayed 
against  them  in  deadly  hostility  all  aspirants  for  office 
who  were  not  sure  of  their  support,  all  who  have  been 
unsuccessful  in  elections,  and  all  who  were  too  proud 
to  court  their  influence,  with  all  their  friends  and  con- 
nections. These  also  were  the  active  men  in  blowing 
up  the  fury  of  the  people,  in  hopes  that  a  popular 
movement  might  be  set  on  foot,  which  would  result  in 
the  expulsion  or  extermination  of  the  Mormon  voters. 
For  this  purpose  public  meetings  had  been  called, 
inflammatory  speeches  had  been  made,  exaggerated  re- 
ports had  been  extensively  circulated,  committees  had 
been  appointed  who  rode  day  and  night  to  spread  the 
reports,  and  solicit  the  aid  of  neighboring  counties. 
And  at  a  public  meeting  at  Warsaw,  resolutions  were 
passed  to  expel  or  exterminate  the  Mormon  population." 
P-  33^- 

EXTRACTS    FROM    BANCROFT'S    NEW    HISTORY    OF 
UTAH,     ISSUED     189O. 

Bancroft  gives  twenty-six  pages  of  titles  of  authori- 
ties, in  the  way  of  books  and  documents  cited  in  the 
preparation  of  his  work,  thirty-four  or  more  on  each 
page. 

On  page  seven  of  preface,  says  of  works  written 
against  Mormonism:  "Most  of  these  are  written  in  a 
sensational  style,  and  for  the  purpose  of  deriving  profit 
by  pandering  to  a  vitiated  public  taste,  and  are  wholly 
unreliable  as  to  facts." 

"Thus  is  organized   the  Church   of  Jesus  Christ  of 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  407. 

Latter  Day  Saints,  in  accordance  with  special  revela- 
tions and  commandments  and  after  the  manner  set  forth 
in  the  New  Testament." — p.  66. 

"The  same  night  Joseph  was  arrested  by  a  con- 
stable on  a  charge  of  disorderly  conduct,  and  for  preach- 
ing the  Book  of  Mormon.  *  *  Again  he  was  acquitted, 
and  again  escaped  from  the  crowd  outside  the  court- 
house, whose  purpose  it  was  to  tar  and  feather  him, 
and  ride  him  on  a  rail.  These  persecutions  were  insti- 
gated, it  was  said,  chiefly  by  Presbyterians.  While 
Joseph  rested  at  his  home  at  Harmony,  further  stories 
were  circulated,  damaging  to  his  character,  this  time  by 
the  Methodists." — p.  68. 

''On  the  night  of  the  25th  of  March,  1832,  Smith 
and  Rigdon  were  seized  by  a  mob,  composed  partly  of 
the  Campbellites,  Methodists  and  Baptists  of  Hiram, 
twelve  or  fifteen  being  apostate  Mormons." — p.  90. 

**The  spirit  of  mobocracy  was  aroused  throughout 
the  entire  country." — p.  91. 

''Thus  it  appears  that  the  Missouri  state  militia, 
called  out  in  the  first  instance  to  assist  the  Mormon 
militia  in  quelling  a  Missouri  mob,  finally  joins  the 
mob,  against  the  Mormon  militia.  In  none  of  their 
acts  had  the  Saints  placed  themselves  in  an  attitude  of 
unlawful  opposition  to  the  state  authorities;  on  the 
other  hand,  they  were  doing  all  in  their  power  to  defend 
themselves  and  support  law  and  order,  save  in  the  mat- 
ter of  retaliation."  *  * 

"General  Atchison  was  at  Richmond  in  Ray 
county,  when  the  governor's  exterminating  order  was 
issued.  'I  will  have  nothing  to  do  with  so  infamous  a 
proceeding,'  he  said,  and  immediately  resigned." — 
p.  130. 


4o8.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

**  'In  the  name  of  humanity,  I  protest  against  any 
such  cold  blooded  murder,' says  General  Doniphan." — 
p.  131. 

"But  when  the  testimony  on  both  sides  is  carefully 
weighed  it  must  be  admitted  that  the  Mormons  in  Mis- 
souri and  Illinois,  were,  as  a  class,  a  more  moral,  honest, 
temperate,  hard-working,  self-denying,  and  thirfty  peo- 
ple, than  the  Gentiles  by  whom  they  were  surrounded," 
—p.  164, 

"Of  all  that  has  been  laid  at  their  door,  I  find  little 
proved  against  them." — p.   165. 

"Early  in  June,  1844,  was  issued  the  first  number 
of  the  Nauvoo  Expositor,  the  publishers  being  apostate 
Mormons  and  Gentiles.  The  primary  object  of  the 
publication  was  to  stir  up  strife  in  the  church,  and  aid 
its  enemies  in  their  work  of  attempted  extermination." 
—p.   ryo. 

Gov.  Ford  is  quoted  in  respect  to  the  Mormons  of 
Nauvoo:  "Upon  the  conclusion  of  my  address  I  pro- 
posed to  take  a  vote  on  the  question  whether  they 
would  strictly  observe  the  laws,  even  in  opposition  to 
their  prophet  and  leaders.  The  vote  was  unanimous  in 
favor  of  this  proposition." — p.  176. 

"The  govenor  took  his  departure  on  the  morning 
of  the  27th  of  June.  *  *  The  prison  was  guarded  by 
eight  men,  detailed  from  the  Carthage  Greys,  their 
company  being  in  camp  on  the  public  square,  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  distant,  while  another  company  under  Wil- 
liams, also  the  sworn  enemies  of  the  Mormons,  was 
encamped  eight  miles  away,  there  awaiting  the  develop- 
ment of  events." — p.   178. 

"In  view  of  this  state  of  affairs,  which  was  more 
like    old   time  feudalism    than   latter-day    republicism, 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  409. 

Gov.  Ford  made  an  inspection  of  the  city,  and  declared 
that  fewer  thefts  were  committed  in  Nauvoo,  in  propor- 
tion to  the  population,  than  in  any  other  town  in  the 
state." — p.  208. 

"This  is  why  the  people  of  Missouri  and  Illinois 
drove  them  out — not  because  of  their  religion  or  im- 
morality, for  their  religion  was  nothing  to  the  Gentiles, 
and  their  niDrals  were  as  good,  or  better,  than  those  of 
their  neighbors." — p.  368. 

''The  only  way  the  Mormons  can  live  in  peace  with 
Gentile  neighbors,  is  for  them  to  follow  the  example  of 
their  brethren,  the  Josephites — leave  politics  and  gov- 
ernment out  of  their  ethics."  *  *  p.  369. 

"The  New  Testament  is  all  against  plurality  of 
wives,  and  though  it  nowhere,  in  so  many  words,  con- 
demns the  system,  the  books  of  Mormon  and  Doctrine 
and  Covenants  do." — p.  572. 

"The  most  successful  of  the  recusant  sects  was  the 
one  established  by  Joseph  Smith,  the  prophet's  son, 
who,  with  his  brothers  Alexander  H.  and  David  Hyrum, 
remained  at  Nauvoo  ^fter  the  exodus.  *  *  He  at  first 
refused,  but  in  i860,  the  number  of  members  being 
then  considerably  increased  by  the  breaking  up  of  other 
parties,  he  accepted  the  call  as  prophet  and  began  to 
preach  the  faith  of  his  father,  as  he  affirmed,  in  its 
original  purity,  repudiating  the  claims  of  Brigham  and 
the  doctrine  of  polygamy." — p.  644. 

"At  first  singly,  then  by  dozens,  and  afterwards  by 
scores,  converts  were  gathered  into  this  fold,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1864,  the  Josephites  in  Zion  mustered  more 
than  three  hundred,  the  number  of  proselytes  else- 
where being,  at  this  date,  between  two  and  three  thous- 
and.     Persecution  followed,  as  they  claimed,  and  early 


410.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

in  the  summer  about  one  half  of  the  Josephites  in  Salt 
Lake  City  started  eastward,  so  great  being  the  excite- 
ment that  General  Connor  ordered  a  strong  escort  to 
accompany  them  as  far  as  Green  River.  To  those  who 
remained  protection  was  also  afforded  by  the  authori- 
ties."— p.  645. 

EXTRACTS    FROM     "MORMONISM"    BY    MRS.     E.     M.    AUSTIN, 

A      RECENT      ANTI-MORMON      WRITER      FROM 

PERSONAL    OBSERVATION. 

"There  were  now  (1831)  hundreds  who  were  called 
people  of  good  sense  and  judgment,  men  who  were 
valued  in  good  society,  yet  they  were  firm  believers  in 
Mormonism." — Mormonism,  p.  62. 

Of  those  in  Kirtland  in  the  early  days  of  the  church, 
she  says:  "The  members  now  numbered  about  one 
hundred  persons,  the  greater  part  of  whom  were  the 
brightest  and  best  of  the  community,  merchants,  law- 
yers and  doctors.  All  were  united  in  the  belief  that 
God  had  set  his  hand  again — the  second  time — to  re- 
cover the  house  of  Israel." — Mormonism,  pp.  58,  59. 
Copied  from  Herald. 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  41I, 


CHAPTER  VII. 
COURT    DECISIONS. 

KIRTLAND    TEMPLE    SUIT.  —  FINDINGS    OF    THE 
COURT    IN    LAKE    COUNTY,     OHIO. 

The  following  are  the  findings  of  the  Court  in 
which  the  late  suit  of  the  Reorganized  Church  for  the 
quieting  the  title  to  the  Kirtland  Temple,  was  tried: 

"In  Court  of  Common  Pleas,  Lake  County,  Ohio, 
February  23d,  1880.  Present:  Hon.  L.  S.  Sherman, 
Judge;   F.  Paine,  Jr.,  Clerk;   and  C.  F.  Morley,  Sheriff. 

"Journal  Entry,  February  Term,  1880. 

"The  Reorganized  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Lat- 
ter Day  Saints:   Plaintiff.      Against 

"Lucian  Williams,  Joseph  Smith,  Sarah  F.  Videon, 
Mark  H.  Forscutt,  the  Church  in  Utah,  of  which  John 
Taylor  is  President  and  commonly  known  as  the  Mor- 
mon church,  and  John  Taylor,  President  of  said  Utah 
Church:   Defendants. 

"Now  at  this  term  of  the  Court  came  the  Plaintiff 
by  its  attorneys,  E.  L.  Kelley,  and  Burrows  and  Bos- 
worth,  and  the  Defendants  came  not,  but  made  default; 
and  thereupon,  with  the  assent  of  the  Court,  and  on 
motion  and  by  the  consent  of  the  Plaintiff  a  trial  by 
jury  is  waived  and  this  cause  is  submitted  to  the  Court 
for  trial,  and  the  cause  came  on  for  trial  to  the  Court 
upon  the  pleadings  and  evidence,   and  was  argued  by 


412.  COMPENDIUM     OV    EVIDENCE. 

counsel;  on  consideration  whereof,  the  Court  do  find 
as  matters  of  fact:   *   * 

"That  the  said  Plaintiff,  the  Reorganized  Church 
of  Jesus  Christ  of  I.atter  Day  Saints,  is  a  Religious 
Society,  founded  and  organized  upon  the  same  doctrines 
and  tenets,  and  having  the  same  church  organization, 
as  the  original  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day 
Saints,  organized  in  1830,  by  Joseph  Smith,  and  was 
organized  pursuant  to  the  constitution,  laws  and  usages 
of  said  original  Church,  and  has^  branches  located  in 
Illinois,  Ohio,  and  other  States. 

"That  the  church  in  Utah,  the  Defendant,  of  which 
John  Taylor  is  President,has  materially  and  largely  de- 
parted from  the  faith,  doctrines,  laws,  ordinances  and 
usages  of  said  original  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter 
Day  Saints,  and  has  incorporated  into  its  system  of 
faith  the  doctrines  of  Celestial  Marriage  and  a  plurality 
of  wives,  and  the  doctrine  of  Adam- God  worship,  con- 
trary to  the  laws  and  constitution  of  said  original 
Church. 

"And  the  Court  do  further  find  that  the  Plaintiff, 
the  Reorganized  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day 
Saints,  is  the  True  and  Lawful  continuation  of,  and  Suc- 
cessor to  the  said  original  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter  Day  Saints,  organized  in  1830,  and  is  entitled  in 
law  to  all  its  rights  and  property. 

"And  the  Court  do  further  find  that  said  defend- 
ants, Joseph  Smith,  Sarah  F.  Videon  and  Mark  H. 
Forscutt,  are  in  possession  of  said  property  under  a  pre- 
tended title,  derived  from  a  pretended  sale  thereof, 
made  by  order  of  the  Probate  Court  of  Lake  County, 
on  the  petition  of  Henry  Holcomb,  as  the  administrator 
of  said  Joseph  Smith,  as  the  individual  property  of  said 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  413. 

Smith;  and  the  Court  finds  that  said  Smith  had  no  title 
to  said  property,  except  as  the  Trustee  of  said  Church, 
and  that  no  title  thereto  passed  to  the  purchasers  at  said 
sale,  and  that  said  parties  in  possession  have  no  legal 
title  to  said  property. 

"And  the  Court  further  finds  that  the  legal  title  to 
said  property  is  vested  in  the  heirs  of  said  Joseph 
Smith,  in  trust  for  the  legal  successor  of  said  original 
Church,  and  that  the  Plaintiffs  are  not  in  possession 
thereof." 

APPEALED    CASE    IN    CANADA     COURT. 

"Chief  Justice  Armour,  and  other  Judges  concurr- 
ing, said:  'I  have  read  the  evidence  over,  and  find 
nothing  contrary  to  the  doctrine  of  Christ  in  the  teach- 
ing of  the  Reorganized  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter 
Day  Saints.'  *The  great  trouble  is  the  Latter  Day 
Saints'  doctrine  is  Christian  in  the  highest  sense,  and 
the  rest  of  the  religious  world  is  opposed  to  them  be- 
cause they  (the  Saints)  cling  so  closely  to  the  Bible.' 
'It  seems  as  though  it  is  jealousy,  not  justice,  that 
moves  the  action  in  this  case.'  'These  people  teach 
that  one  man  should  have  one  wife  only,  and  they  stand 
by  that.'  'The  doctrine  of  this  church  is  surely  accord- 
ing to  the  Bible.'  'God  has  a  body.'  'Yes,  they  teach 
that  God  has  body,  parts  and  passions.  I  think  that 
doctrine  very  elementary.  Don't  you  believe  that  God 
has  a  body?  Does  not  the  Bible  say  that  God  made 
man  in  his  own  image?  Now,  I  am  a  man;  I  have  a 
body.  This  point  appears  to  be  in  their  favor.'  'I 
am  surprised  to  see  this  trial,  it  seems  as  if  some  of  the 
Christians  are  wanting  to  go  back  to  the  dark  ages; 
they  would  have  us  try  heresy  here.'  'This  is  not  pros- 
ecution but  persecution.' 


414-  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

"THE    DECISION. 

''Rev.  V.  Dickhout.— J.  C.  Cartwright,  Q.  C, 
and  Dymond  for  the  Crown.  W.  M.  German  (Wel- 
land)  for  the  defendant.  Case  stated  by  the  Police 
Magistrate  for  the  Town  of  Niagara  Falls,  before  whom 
the  defendant  was  charged  for  that  he  did  on  the  19th 
May,  1893,  at  that  town,  unlawfully  and  without  lawful 
authority,  solemnize  a  marriage  between  Abraham  H. 
Taylor  and  Alice  E.  Vance.  The  question  raised  by 
the  case  was  whether  the  defendant  as  a  priest  of  'The 
Reorganized  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day 
Saints'  was  entitled  as  a  minister  of  'a  church  or  denom 
ination'  within  the  meaning  of  R.  S.  O.,  ch.  131,  sec.  i, 
to  solemnize  a  marriage.  Counsel  for  the  Crown  con- 
tended, as  Christianity  was  part  of  the  law  of  the  Prov- 
ince, the  words  of  the  statute  must  be  read  as  meaning 
'Christian  church  or  denomination,'  and  that  the  body 
in  question  was  not  a  Christian  body.  x\t  the  conclu- 
sion of  the  argument  the  judgment  of  the  court  was 
delivered  by  Armour  C.  J.,  as  follows:  We  think  it 
quite  clear  that  this  conviction  can  not  be  maintained. 
The  defendant  was  clearly  a  duly  ordained  minister  of 
this  religious  body,  and  there  is  no  doubt  that  it  is  a 
religious  denomination  within  the  words  of  the  statute. 
Assuming  that  Christianity  is  the  law  of  the  land  in  a 
sense,  there  is  nothing  contrary  to  Christianity  in  the 
tenets  of  this  body.  It  is  true  they  have  something 
supplemental  to  the  Bible,  but  that  is  the  case  with  every 
church  or  denomination.  The  Church  of  England  has 
its  creeds  and  the  Presbyterian  Church  its  confession. 
That  does  not  make  the  church  an  anti-Christian  one. 
The  statute  does  not  say  'Christian,'  but  'religious.'  If 
it  said  'Christian'  it  would  exclude  Jews.       The  funda- 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  415. 

mental  law  of  the  country  makes  no  distinction  between 
churches  or  denominations.  Every  person  is  at  liberty 
to  worship  his  Maker  in  the  way  he  pleases.  We  have, 
or  ought  to  have,  in  this  country,  perfect  freedom  of 
speech  and  perfect  freedom  of  worship.  Conviction 
quashed." — Toronto  Globe,  Mail,  Nov.  29th,  1893. 

UNITED     STATES    CIRCUIT     COURT. TEMPLE    LOT    CASE. 

DECISION      BY       JUDGE        PHILLIPS. 

"Beyond  all  cavil,  if  human  testimony  is  to  place 
any  matter  forever  at  rest,  this  church  was  one  in  doc- 
trine, government,  and  purpose  from  1830  to  June, 
1844,  when  Joseph  Smith,  its  founder,  was  killed.  It 
had  the  same  federal  head,  governing  bodies,  and  faith. 
During  this  period  there  was  no  schism,  no  secession, 
no  'parting  of  the  ways,'  in  any  matter  fundamental, 
or  affecting  its  oneness. 

"The  only  authorized  and  recognized  books  of  doc- 
trine and  laws  for  the  government  of  the  church  from 
1830  to  1846  were  the  Bible,  the  Book  of  Mormon,  and 
the  Book  of  Doctrine  and  Covenants.  The  Book  of 
Doctrine  and  Covenants,  which  consisted  principally  of 
claimed  divine  revelations  to  Joseph  Smith,  was  the 
edition  published  at  Kirtland,  Ohio,  in  1835,  and  at 
Nauvoo  in  1845. 

"No  possible  question  could  be  made  that  had  this 
church,  with  its  central  governing  power  resident  at 
Nauvoo,  asserted  right  of  control  over  this  property 
up  to  1845,  it  would  have  been  recognized  by  the 
ecclesiastical  body  and  by  Courts  of  Chancery,  as  the 
beneficiary  of  the  trust  recognized  by  Edward  Partridge 
from  1832  and  declared  by  him  in  his  trust  deed  of 
1839. 


41 6.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

''Joseph  Smith  was  killed  at  Carthage,  Illinois,  in 
June,  1844.  He  was  the  President  and  the  inspiring 
spirit  of  the  church.  His  violent  death  struck  with 
dismay  the  hearts  of  his  followers;  and  out  of  the  con- 
fusion incident  thereto  was  born  disorder,  schism,  and 
ambition  for  leadership.  Disintegration  set  in  and  the 
church  split  into  factions,  which  under  the  lead  of  dif- 
ferent heads,  scattered  to  different  parts  of  the  country. 
Among  the  'Quorum  of  Twelve' — representing  the 
Apostles—  was  one  Brigham  Young,  a  man  of  intellect- 
ual power,  shrewd  and  aggressive,  if  not  audacious. 
Naturally  enough  such  a  man  gathered  around  him  the 
greater  numbers,  and  it  was  an  easy  matter  for  him  to 
seize  the  fallen  reigns  of  the  Presidency.  He  led  the 
greater  portion  of  Mormons  out  to  what  was  known  as 
'Winter  Quarters,'  near  Omaha,  and  thence  to  Salt 
Lake  Valley  in  Utah,  then  a  dependency  of  Old  Mexico. 
From  this  settlement  has  sprung  the  powerful  ecclesias 
tical  body  known  as  the  Salt  Lake  or  Utah  Church. 
While  the  Respondents  are  wary  of  claiming  alliance 
with  this  Salt  Lake  Church,  it  is  evidently  'the  power 
behind  the  throne'  in  the  defense  of  this  suit;  and 
claim  is  made  by  Respondents'  Counsel  that  it  in  fact 
absorbed  the  Mormon  Church,  and  is  the  real  succes- 
sor to  the  ancient  church. 

"There  can  be  no  question  of  the  fact  that  Brigham 
Young's  assumed  presidency  was  a  bold  and  bald  usur- 
pation. The  Book  of  Doctrine  and  Covenants  (printed 
in  1846)  page  411,  containing  a  revelation  to  Joseph 
Smith,  January  19,  1841,  gave  unto  them  'my  servant 
Joseph,  to  be  a  presiding  elder  over  all  my  church,  to 
be  a  translator,  a  revelator,  a  seer  and  a  prophet.  I 
give  unto  him  for  counselors  my  servant   Sidney  Rig- 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  417. 

don,  and  my  servant  William  Law,  that  these  may  con- 
stitute a  quorum  and  first  presidency,  to  receive  the 
oracles  for  the  whole  church.  I  give  unto  you,  ray 
servant  Brigham  Young,  to  be  a  president  over  the 
twelve  traveling  council.'  So  that  Brigham  Young 
was  but  president  over  the  'Twelve,'  a  traveling  coun- 
cil. The  book  clearly  taught  that  the  succession  should 
descend  lineally  and  go  to  the  firstborn.  Joseph  Smith 
so  taught,  and,  before  his  taking  off,  publicly  pro- 
claimed his  Son  Joseph,  the  present  head  of  Complain- 
ant Church,  his  successor,  and  he  was  so  annointed. 

''The  book  also  contains  the  following,  when  refer- 
ring to  Joseph   Smith: 

''  'But  verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  that  none  else 
shall  be  appointed  unto  this  gift  except  it  be  through 
him,  for  if  it  betaken  from  him  he  shall  not  have  power, 
except  to  appoint  another  in  his  stead;  and  this  shall 
be  a  law  unto  you,  that  ye  receive  not  the  teachings  of 
any  that  sh^ll  come  before  you  as  revelations,  or  com- 
mandments; and  this  I  give  unto  you,  that  you  may 
not  be  deceived,  that  you  may  know  they  are  not  of 
me.  For  verily  I  say  unto  you;  that  he  that  is  or- 
dained of  me,  shall  come  in  at  the  gate  and  be  ordained 
as  I  have  told  you  before,  to  teach  those  revelations 
which  you  have  received,  and  shall  receive  through  him 
whom  I  have  appointed.' 

''Brigham  Young's  assumption  of  this  office  (under 
the  claim  of  something  like  a  transfiguration)  was  itself 
a  departure  from  the  law  of  the  church. 

"The  Book  of  Mormon  itself  inveighed  against  the 
sin  of  polygamy.  True  it  is  that  Brigham  Young  taught 
that  these  denunciations  of  the  book  were  leveled  at  the 
Indians — the    Lamanites.       But  I   confess  to   an  utter 


4l8.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

inability  to  interpret  human  language  if  this  be  correct. 
In  chapter  i,  Book  of  Jacob,  in  speaking  of  the  people 
of  Nephi,  the  favored  people,  they  were  arraigned  for 
growing  hard  of  heart  and  indulging  themselves  some- 
what in  wicked  practices,  such  as  like  unto  David  of 
old,  desiring  'many  wives  and  concubines,'  as  also  did 
Solomon,  David's  son;  and  in  chapter  two,  same  book, 
after  alluding  to  the  filthiness  evidently  of  the  Indian 
tribes,  it  says: 

''  'Behold,  the  Lamanites,  your  brethren,  whom  ye 
hate,  because  of  their  filthiness  and  the  cursings  which 
hath  come  upon  their  skins,  are  more  righteous  than 
you;  for  they  have  not  forgotten  the  commandment  of 
the  Lord,  which  was  given  unto  our  fathers,  that  they 
should  have,  save  it  were  one  wife,  and  concubines  they 

should    have    none And    now    this     commandment 

they  observe  to  keep,  wherefore,  because  of  this  obser- 
vance in  keeping  this  commandment,  the  Lord  God 
will  not  destroy  them,  but  will  be  merciful  .unto  them, 
and  one  day  they  shall  become  a  blessed  people.' 

"How  it  can  be  that  the  Lamanites  please  God  in 
sticking  to  one  wife,  and  the  Nephites  displease  him  by 
imitating  David  and  Solomon  in  multiplying  wives,  and 
yet  polygamy  is  to  be  a  crown  of  righteousness  in  the 
teachings  of  the  Angel  Mormon,  challenges  my  power 
of  comprehension.      It  requires  transfiguration  to  do  so. 

''Conformably  to  the  Book  of  Mormon,  the  Book  of 
Doctrine  and  Covenants  expressly  declares  "that  we 
believe  that  one  man  should  have  but  one  wife,  and  one 
woman  but  one  husband.'  And  this  declaration  of 
the  church  on  this  subject  reappeared  in  the  Book  of 
Doctrine  and  Covenants,  edition  of  1846  and  1856. 
Its  first  appearance  as  a  dogma  of  the  church  [the  dog- 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  419. 

ma  of  polygamy]    was   in   the   Utah    Church   in    1852. 

"Claim  is  made  by  the  Utah  Church  that  this  doc- 
trine is  predicated  of  a  revelation  made  to  Joseph 
Smith  in  July,  1843.  ^^  such  revelation  was  ever 
made  public  during  the  life  of  Joseph  Smith,  and  under 
the  law  of  the  church  it  could  not  become  an  article  of 
faith  and  belief  until  submitted  to  and  adopted  by  the 
church.      This  was  never  done. 

"No  more  complete  and  caustic  refutation  of  this 
claim  made  by  Brigham  Young  can  be  found  than  in 
exhibit  'W  in  this  case,  in  a  book  entitled  'The 
Spiritual  Wife  System  Proven  False,'  issued  by  Gran- 
ville Hedrick,  the  head  of  the  Respondent  Church,  in 
1856.  He  ridiculed  the  pretension  of  Brigham  Young 
that  he  had  this  revelation,  unproclaimed,  locked  up  in 
his  private  chest  for  nine  years.      He  says: 

"  'Now  how  strangely  inconsistent,  that  the  revela- 
tion should  be  given  nine  or  ten  years  before  its  time, 
and  have  to  lie  eight  or  nine  years  under  his  patent 
lock  before  it  would  be  time  to  proclaim  it.  Here, 
then,  we  have  a  specimen  of  an  abortive  revelation, 
come  before  its  time,  and  had  to  be  put  in  the  sacred 
desk,  under  a  patent  lock,  for  eight  or  nine  years,  and 
shown  occasionally — just  often  enough  to  get  the  thing 
used  to  it  so  that  when  it  got  old  enough  it  could  go 
abroad.  So  much  for  this  curious  revelation,  come  in 
an  abortion — got  burned  up — then  locked  up — and  now 
has  gone  forth  to  damn  everybody  that  don't  believe  it. 
Why!      It  is  a  perfect  phoenix.' 

"When  the  present  President  of  the  Salt  Lake 
Church,  Wilford  Woodruff,  was  on  the  witness  stand,  he 
testified  that  on  the  15th  of  November,  1844,  there  was 
no  marriage  ceremony   in   the  church   except  that  pub- 


420.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

lished  in  the  [Book  of  Doctrine  and  Covenants]  edition 
of  1835.  He  was  then  asked  why  the  church,  of  which 
he  is  President,  in  the  publication  of  the  Book  of  Doc- 
trine and  Covenants  in  the  Salt  Lake  edition  of  1876, 
eliminated  the  section  on  marriage  as  found  in  the  1835 
edition  and  in  all  editions  thereof  published  up  to  1876, 
and  inserted  in  lieu  thereof  the  claimed  revelation  on 
polygamy  of  July,  1843.  'Answer.  I  do  not  know 
why  it  was  done.  It  was  done  by  the  authority  of  who- 
ever presided  over  the  church,  I  suppose.  Brigham 
X Young  was  the  President  then.' 
"The  Utah  Church  further  departed  from  the  prin- 
ciples and  doctrines  of  the  Original  Church  by  chang- 
ing in  their  teaching  the  fir^t  statement  in  the  Article 
of  Faith,  which  was,  'We  believe  in  God,  the  EternaJ 
Father,  and  in  his  Son,  Jesus  Christ,  and  in  the  Holy 
Ghost,'  and  in  lieu  thereof  taught  the  doctrine  of 
'A_dam  God  worship,'  which,  as  announced  in  Journal 
of  Discourses  by  Brigham  Young,  is  as  follows: 

''  'When  our  father  Adam  came  into  the  Garden  of 
Eden,  he  came  into  it  with  a  celestial  body,  and  brought 
Eve,  one  of  his  wives,  with  him.  He  helped  to  make 
and  organize  this  world.  He  is  Michael  the  Archangel, 
the  Ancient  of  Days,  about  whom  holy  men  have  writ- 
ten and  spoken — He  is  our  Father  and  our  God,  and 
fhe  only  God  with  whom  we  have  to  do.' 
y'  "It  has  introduced  societies  of  a  secret  order,  and 

/     established  secret  oaths  and  covenants,  contrary  to  the 
/      book  of  teachings  of  the  old  church.       It  has  changed 
1       the  duties  of  the   President,    and   of   the   Twelve,   and 
\      established   the  doctrine  to  'Obey   Counsel,'    and   has 
^    changed  the  order  of  the  'Seventy,  or  Evangelists.' 

"The  next  important  and   interesting   question   is, 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  42 1. 

Does  the  Complainant  Church  represent  the  benefici- 
aries of  this  property? 

''In  controversies  of  this  character,  respecting  the 
rightful  ownership  of  church  property,  the  civil  judi- 
catories have  nothing  to  do  with  the  question  as  to 
which  faction  expounds  the  sounder  theology,  or  moral 
philosophy,  and  which  best  accords  with  reason  and 
common  sense.  A  good  Chancellor  may  be  an  in- 
different theologian;  and  when  he  should  lay  aside  the 
ermine  for  the  surplice  he  might  prove  more  bigot  than 
justiciary.  As  said  in  Smith  vs.  Pedigo,  :^^  N.  E.  Rep. 
777,  'Religious  doctrines  and  practices  are  listened  to 
by  the  Courts  solely  as  facts  upon  which  civil  rights 
and  the  right  to  property  are  made  to  depend,  regard- 
less of  the  ultimate  truth  or  soundness  of  such  doc- 
trines, practices,  and  beliefs.' 

"In  case  of  disorganization  and  factional  divisions 
of  an  ecclesiastical  body,  the  settled  rule  of  the  civil 
courts  is  that  'the  title  to  church  property  '^  *  is  in 
that  part  of  it  which  is  acting  in  harmony  with  its  own 
law,  and  the  ecclesiastical  laws  and  usages,  customs 
and  principles,  which  were  accepted  among  them  before 
the  dispute  began,  and  the  standards  for  determining 
which  party  is  right.'  The  right  of  ownership  abides 
with  that  faction,  great  or  small,  which  is  'in  favor  of 
the  government  of  the  church  in  operation,  with  w^hich 
it  was  connected  at  the  time  the  trust  was  declared.' 
McRoberts  vs.  Moudy,  19  Mo.  App.  26;  Roshi's  Ap. 
69  Pa.  St.  462;  Baker  et  al.  vs.  Thales,  9  Pick.  488; 
Whitlick  vs.  Whitelick,  S^  Ind.  130. 

"The  Courts  will  adjudge  the  property  'to  the 
members,  however  few  in  numbers  they  may  be,'  who 
adhere  to  the  form  of  church  government,  or  acknowl- 


422.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

edge  the  church  connection,  for  which  the  property  was 
acquired.'  (Judge  Strong's  lecture  on  Relation  of 
Civil  Law  to  Church  Property,  pages  49-59.) 

"Justice  Caton  in  Ferraria  et  al.,  vs.  Vanconcellos. 
et  al.,  31  111.  54,  55,  aptly  states  the  rule  to  be,  'That, 
where  a  church  is  erected  for  the  use  of  a  particular 
denomination  or  religious  persuasion,  a  majority  of  the 
members  cannot  abandon  the  tenets  and  doctrines  of 
the  denomination  and  retain  the  right  to  the  use  of  the 
property;  but  such  secessionists  forfeit  all  right  to  the 
property,  even  if  but  a  single  member  adheres  to  the 
original  faith  and  doctrine  of  the  church.  This  rule  is 
founded  in  reason  and  justice, .  .  .Those  who  adhere  to 
the  original  tenets  and  doctrines,  for  the  promulgation 
of  which  a  church  has  been  erected,  are  the  sole  bene- 
ficiaries designed  by  the  donors;  and  those  who  depart 
from  and  abandon  those  tenets  and  doctrines  cease  to 
be  beneficiaries,  and  forfeit  all  claim  to  the  title  and 
use  of  such  property.' 

"No  matter,  therefore,  if  the  church  at  Nauvoo 
became  a  prey  to  schisms,  after  the  death  of  Joseph 
Smith,  and  presented  as  many  frightful  heads  as  did 
the  dragon  which  the  Apostle  John  saw  in  his  vision  on 
the  Isle  of  Patmos,  if  there  was  one  righteous  left  in 
Sodom,  the  promise  of  the  covenant  and  of  the  law  of  the 
land  is  to  him.  It  is  neither  good  law  nor  Bible  history 
to  say  that  because  the  Saints  became  scattered  and 
without  an  organism,  the  faithful  lost  the  benefit  of 
the  church  property.  Forsooth  the  children  of  Israel 
were  carried  captive  to  Babylon,— -'the  mother  of  har 
lots  and  abominations  of  the  earth,' — they  did  not 
cease  to  be  children  of  the  covenant,  nor  lose  their 
interest  in  Jerusalem. 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  423. 

"A  considerable  number  of  the  officers  and  mem- 
bers of  the  church  at  Nauvoo  did  not  ally  themselves 
with  any  of  the  factions,  and  wherever  they  were  they 
held  onto  the  faith,  refused  to  follow  Brigham  Young 
to  Utah,  and  ever  repudiated  the  doctrine  of  polygamy, 
which  was  the  great  rock  of  oifense  on  which  the  church 
split  after  the  death  of  Joseph  Smith. 

"In  1852  the  scattered  fragments  of  the  church, 
the  remnants  of  those  who  held  to  the  fortunes  of  the 
present  Joseph  Smith,  son  of  the  so-called  'Martyr,' 
gathered  together  sufficiently  for  a  nucleus  of  organiza- 
tion. They  took  the  name  of  'The  Reorganized 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day  Saints,"  and 
avowed  their  allegiance  to  the  teachings  of  the  ancient 
church;  and  their  epitome  of  faith  adopted,  while  con- 
taining differences  m  phraseology,  in  its  essentials  is 
but  a  reproduction  of  that  of  the  church  as  it  existed 
from  1830  to  1844.  Today  they  are  twenty- five  thous- 
and strong. 

'Tt  is  charged  by  the  Respondents,  as  an  echo  of 
the  Utah  Church,  that  Joseph  Smith,  'the  Martyr,' 
secretly  taught  and  practiced  polygamy;  and  the  Utah 
contingent  furnishes  the  evidence,  and  two  of  the 
women,  to  prove  this  fact.  It  perhaps  would  be  un- 
charitable to  say  of  these  women  that  they  have  borne 
false  testimony  as  to  their  connection  with  Joseph 
Smith;  but,  in  view  of  all  the  evidence  and  circum- 
stances surrounding  the  alleged  intercourse,  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  escape  the  conclusion  that  at  most  they  were  but 
sports  in  'nest  hiding.'  In  view  of  the  contention  of 
the  Salt  Lake  party,  that  polygamy  obtained  at  Nauvoo 
as  early  as  1841,  it  must  be  a  little  embarrassing  to 
President    Woodruff   of   that    organization    when   he  is 


424-  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

confronted,  as  he  was  in  the  evidence  in  this  case,  with 
a  published  card  in  the  church  organ  at  Naiivoo  in 
October,  1843,  certifying  that  he  knew  of  no  other  rule 
or  system  of  marriage  than  the  one  published  in  the 
Book  of  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  and  that  the  'secret 
wife  system,'  charged  against  the  church,  was  a  crea- 
ture of  invention  by  one  Dr.  Bennett,  and  that  they 
knew  of  no  such  society.  That  certificate  was  signed 
by  the  leading  members  of  the  church,  including  John 
Taylor  the  former  President  of  the  Utah  Church.  And 
a  similar  certificate  was  published  by  the  Ladies  Relief 
Society  of  the  same  place,  signed  by  Emma  Smith,  the 
wife  of  Joseph  Smith,  and  Phoebe  Woodruff,  wife  of 
the  present  President  Woodruff.  No  such  marriage 
ever  occurred  under  the  rules  of  the  church,  and  no 
offspring  came  from  the  imputed  illicit  intercourse, 
although  Joseph  Smith  was  in  the  full  vigor  of  young 
manhood,  and  his  wife,  Emma,  was  giving  birth  to 
healthy  children  in  regular  order,  and  was  enciente  at 
the  time  of  Joseph's  death. 

"But  if  it  were  conceded  that  Joseph  Smith  and 
Hyrum,  his  brother,  did  secretly  practice  concubinage, 
is  the  church  to  be  charged  with  those  liaisons,  and  the 
doctrine  of  polygamy  to  be  predicated  thereon  of  the 
church?  If  so,  I  suspect  the  doctrine  of  polygamy 
might  be  imputed  to  many  of  the  Gentile  churches. 
Certainly  it  was  never  promulgated,  taught,  nor  recog- 
nized, as  a  doctrine  of  the  church  prior  to  the  assump- 
tion of  Brigham  Young. 

*'It  is  next  charged  against  Complainant  Church 
that  it  has  added  to  the  Articles  of  Faith  other  revela- 
tions of  the  Divine  will,  alleged  to  have  been  made  to 
Joseph  Smith,  the  present  head  of  Complainant  Church. 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  425. 

If  SO,  how  can  this  be  held  to  be  heretical,  or  a  depart- 
ure, when  in  the  Epitome  of  Faith  of  the  ancient 
church,  is  this  article,  -We  believe  all  that  God  has  re- 
vealed, all  that  he  does  now  reveal,  and  we  believe  that 
he  will  yet  reveal  many  great  and  important  things  per- 
taining to  the  kingdom  of  God.'  And  in  the  Book  of 
Doctrine  and  Covenants,  paragraph  2,  section  14,  it  is 
taught  that  such  revelations  might  come  through  him 
whom  the^prophet  might  ordain. 

"In  the  very  nature  of  the  doctrine  of  the  church, 
that  God  in  the  fullness  of  time  makes  known  his  will 
to  the  church  by  revelation,  additional  revelations  were 
to  be  expected.  No  specification  is  made  by  learned 
Counsel  as  to  wherein  the  alleged  new  revelations  de- 
clare any  doctrine  at  variance  with  that  taught  in  ante- 
cedent revelations. 

"It  is  next  charged  that  the  Complainants  have  a 
new  Bible.  The  basis  for  this  is  that  Joseph  Smith, 
the  founder  of  the  Church,  was  as  early  as  1830  en- 
gaged in  a  translation  of  the  Bible,  which  he  is  alleged 
to  have  completed  about  1833  or  1834.  This  work 
seems  to  have  been  recognized  also  in  a  revelation  in 
section  13,  paragraph  15,  and  in  section  58.  The  evi- 
dence shows  that  this  manuscript  was  kept  by  his  wife 
and  delivered  to  the  present  Joseph  Smith,  her  son, 
and  was  published  by  a  committee  of  the  church.  It  is 
not  claimed  by  Joseph  Smith  that  this  translation  is  a 
substitute  for  the  King  James'  translation,  nor  has  it 
been  made  to  appear  that  it  inculcates  any  new  religious 
tenet  different  from  that  of  the  ancient  church.  In 
this  day  of  multifarious  and  free  translations  of  the 
Bible  it  should  hardly  be  imputed  a  heresy  in  this 
church  to  take  some  liberties  with  the  virgin  Greek  and 


426.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

Hebrew.  It  is  also  charged  that  the  Complainant 
Church  has  only  eleven  representing  the  Quorum  of  the 
Twelve.  I  believe  the  New  Testament  records  it  as  a 
historical  fact  that  'Peter  stood  up  with  the  eleven,' 
after  the  apostasy  of  Judas  Iscariot.  There  is  nothing 
in  the  Code  of  the  present  church  to  prevent  the  filling 
out  of  the  'Twelve.' 

"There  are  some  other  minor  objections  to  the 
present  organization,  the  answer  to  which  is  so  obvious 
that  it  scarcely  need  be  made. 

"Who  are  the  Respondents  and  in  what  do  they 
believe?  Looking  at  their  answer  in  this  case,  and  their 
evidence,  the  idea  occurrs  that  in  theory  they  are 
Ecclesiastical  Nondescripts,  and  in  practice  'Squatter 
Sovereigns.'  They  repudiate  polygamy  while  looking 
to  Salt  Lake  City  for  succor.  They  deny  in  their  an- 
swer that  this  property  was  ever  bought  for  the  church, 
or  impressed  with  a  trust  therefor,  and  yet,  when  their 
head  men  were  on  the  witness  stand  they  swore  they 
are  a  part  and  parcel  of  the  original  church,  founded 
and  inspired  by  Joseph  Smith,  'the  Martyr,'  and  that 
today  they  hold  the  property  in  question  in  trust  for 
that  church. 

"They  are  commonly  called  'Hedrickites'  because 
their  head  is  Granville  Hedrick,  who  himself  was  a 
member  of  Complainant  organization  as  minister,  and 
participated  actively  in  its  General  Conference  as  late 
as  1857,  receiving  'the  right  hand  of  fellowship,'  and 
moving  the  conference  to  works  of  evangelization  in  his 
region  of  the  country.  It  is  inferable  from  the  testi- 
mony in  this  case  that  they  reject  measurably  the 
standard  Book  of  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  and  accord- 
ing to  the  testimony  of  Respondent  Hill  they  'repudiate 


COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE.  427. 

the  doctrine  taught  by  the  church  in  general  after  1833, 
1834  and  1835.',  And  also  the  law  relating  to  'tithes 
and  offerings,'  and  the  doctrine  of  baptism  for  the 
dead,  which  was  taught  by  the  Mother  Church.  They 
also  seem  to  reject  the  law  relating  to  the  Presidency, 
and  of 'the  Twelve  Traveling  High  Council,' and  also 
'the  Quorum  of  Seventy  Evangelists.' 

"They  are  but  a  small  band,  and  their  seizure  of 
the  Temple  Lot,  and  attempt  thus  to  divert  the  trust, 
invoke  the  interposition  of  a  Court  of  Equity  to  estab- 
lish the  trust  and  prevent  its  perversion. 

"LACHES. 

"It  is  urged  by  Respondents  that  the  claim  of 
Complainant  is  stale,  and  that  a  Court  of  Equity  will 
not  afford  relief  where  party  complaining  has  been 
guilty  of  laches.  There  are  several  answers  to  this  ob- 
jection. In  the  first  place,  this  is  an  express  trust  in 
favor  of  Complainant,  arising  on  the  Partridge  deed  of 
1839.  The  statute  of  limitation  does  not  run  against  an 
express  trust.  There  was  no  repudiation  of  the  trust  by 
the  trustees.  Eaches  is  a  question  determined  by  the 
circumstances  of  the  particular  case. 

"The  delay  in  bringing  this  action  is  not  inexcus- 
able. The  beneficiaries  of  the  trust  were  driven  from 
the  State  in  1838-9  by  military  force,  and  were  not  per- 
mitted to  return  to  the  State.  A  public  hostile  feeling 
and  sentiment  were  excited  against  them,  which  would 
have  blazed  up  from  the  slumbering  fires  at  any  time 
thereafter  prior  to  the  Civil  War,  had  they  returned 
here  and  attempted  to  occupy  this  property.  No  one 
better  knew  this  than  the  Respondents  when  they  laid 
hands  to  this  property.  The  Complainants  were  not 
here  'to  stand  by'  while  parties  were  giving  and  receiv- 


425.  COMPENDIUM    OF    EVIDENCE. 

ing  deeds  to  this  property.  No  improvements  were 
made  on,  and  no  visible  possession  taken  of  the  Temple 
Lot,  until  1882,  within  ten  years  of  the  institution  of 
this  suit,  and  when  the  trust  deed  had  been  on  record 
twelve  years.  Up  to  this  hostile  action  of  Respondents 
the  Complainant  had  a  right  to  assume  that  the  trust 
character  of  this  property  was  intact,  and  that  the  lot 
was  open  for  their  entry  at  any  time  when  the  auspi- 
cious hour  came  to  build  on  it. 

"In  the  language  of  Chief  Justice  P'uller  in  Sim- 
mons Creek  Coal  Company  vs.  Doran,  142  U.  S.  444, 
'There  was  no  delay,  therefore,  in  the  assertion  of  its 
rights  after  they  were  invaded.'  See  also  Burke  vs. 
Bachus  (Minn.),  53  N.  W.  Rep.  458. 

"A  Court  of  Equity  has  jurisdiction  in  this  case. 
It  belongs  to  it  to  remove  clouds  from  title,  'the  relief 
being  granted  on  the  principle  of  quia  timet.'  It  is 
peculiarly  its  province  in  a  case  like  this  to  vindicate  the 
trust,  to  determine  the  real  beneficiaries  of  the  trust 
estate,  and  to  prevent  its  diversion. 

* 'Decree  will  go  in  favor  of  Complainant,  estab- 
lishing the  trust  in  its  favor  against  Respondents,  re- 
moving the  cloud  from  the  title,  enjoining  Respondents 
from  asserting  title  to  the  property,  and  awarding  the 
possession  to  the  Complainant." 

Decision  in  full  text  can  be  had  at  Herald  office, 
Lamoni,  Iowa,  or  Ensign  office.  Independence,  Mis- 
souri, at  fifteen  cents  per  copy. 

[the  end.] 


iis[I3e:x:. 


PART    I. 

Abraham's  Land  Described   ..,,.    51 

x\ccount  of  Relics,  Salt  Lake  Tribune 13-15 

Advanced,  Civilized,  Cultured  People 

23,    24,    29,   30-38,   41-47,    103-107 

Agriculture,  Irrigation  Used,  104,  105,  11,  96,  97,  loi 

Alphabet,    Maya-Egyptian 76,    79-84 

America  Again  Discovered    113 

American  Antiquity,  when  published    111-115 

America  to  Awake 3,    113 

To  Tell  its  Tale  after  1838 113 

''       First  People  Crossed  the  Sea    22 

''       Included  in  Bible  Prophecy 48-63 

Animals,  Evidence  of 10,   55-60 

**       Found  by  Nephites 54 

Antiquities  of  America  Hardly  Entered    20 

"  "  "       Confirm  Scripture 20 

Antiquity  Great 24,    29 

Anthon's  Admission 136 

Aqueducts  for  Irrigation 104,    105 

Architecture,  Egyptian    74,  75 

*'  Wonderful 15,    35-38 

xArts  and  Sciences    29-34,   36,   37,  75 

''       "  "  Egyptian 74,    75 

Artistic,  Scientific  Skill    36-40 

Astronomical  Facts,    B.  of  M.  Confirmed 6^    7 

**  Attainments 3r-34,   41 

Babel,  Jaredites  from    21 

"      Votan  ''     25 

"       Traditions 26-28 


430.  INDEX. 

Bancroft,  Americans,  Jewish  Descent 6^ 

Bearded  White  Men 12 

Boat,  Hole  in  Outer  Bottom    28,    29 

"       Submarine 29 

Bones,  Relics  Deep  in  Earth    8,   9 

Book  Buried  in   Earth 93 

"     Mcllvaine  Wonder 3 

"  "  Ten  Years  Behind 3 

Book  of  Mormon  Admits  Errors 4,  5 

*'       "         "  Name  of i 

'*      ''         "  Period,  it  Covers 2 

Book  to  Come  Forth 119-135 

Books   Abundant 41-45,   93,    11 1 

Brass  Plates,  etc    88,   89,    100,    loi 

Bridges,   Stone-Suspension    104-106 

Builders'  Tools  Very   Old    17 

Calendar,  Stone,  Interpreted    7,   40 

''  System,  American,    Egyptian 75 

Came  in  Ships 12,   23,    26 

Camel 10,55-57,00 

Catlin's  Reasons,  Israelites 64,  65 

Cement 105,    106. 

Christianity  in  America  Anciently      19,    20 

Cities,  One  to  Four,  Forty,  Sixty 11 1,    112 

Cities  and  Temples      102,    1 10 

Civilization,  Peru  Begun 16 

Cliff  Dwellers,  Robbers,  etc..  Skulls     11,    12 

Cloth,   Different  Varieties    14,    15,   35,   45,   47 

Coin 94,    95 

Colonies,  Jaredite,  Nephite     2 

Columns,  Obelisks 77,    78 

Convulsions  of  Continent      8-10 

Compass 108,    109 

Conclusions      141-149 

Copper      90,    91,   98,    100,    101 

Corn     II,    14,    15 

Crossed  the   Sea      22 

Cultivated,  Polished  People,   23,  24,  29,  30-38,   41-47 
Customs,    Jewish,     Many 63-65,    70,    71 


INDEX.  431. 

Dates  of  American  Antiquity,  when  published,  111-115. 

Davenport  Tablet      91. 

Decorations,  Remarkable    37. 

Destruction  of  Books 42. 

Distinct  People 29,   30,    no. 

Divine  Command    25. 

Domestic    Animals      55-60. 

Dye,  All  Colors     46. 

Earth  Convulsed,  B.  of  M.  Attested      8-10. 

"  Revolves,  Knowledge  Ancient  ....  6,  7,  109. 
Egyptian  Alphabet 79-84. 

"         Art  and  Science      75. 

"  Embalming 75,    76. 

Hieroglyphics    75,    76,    78,    79,   S^,   84. 

"  Language     76-86, 

"         Resemblances 74-86. 

''         Sculpture 75,    76,    78. 

"         Writing,  Hieroglyphics  Three  Kinds. .. .    84. 

Elephants      10,   55,  59,   60. 

Empires,  Mighty  Cities      no. 

Enclosures  100  to  400  Acres 103, 

Engineering  Skill 107. 

Ephriam,  Stick    18,  62. 

Errors  Admitted,  B.  of  M 4,   5- 

Evidence  Convincing 7. 

Face  of  Land    Changed 8-10. 

Far  Advanced  Civilization... 39. 

FJood  Traditions 26,    27. 

Forty-four  Cities 37,    (see  also  1 12). 

Four  Brothers  Colbnize  Peru 16. 

Furnaces,  Twenty  or  Thirty 102,   35. 

Gadianton  Robbers 11. 

Geology,  Troano,  a  Treatise  on 41. 

Geometrical  Precision 103. 

Glass 47,    loi. 

Gold 15,    35,    96-98. 

God  Distributing  Nations 17-21. 

Gospel  in  America  Anciently 20. 

Great   Works 103-107. 


432.  INDEX. 

Hebrew    Customs 63-65,    70,    7 1 

''  Engraving,    Writing 66-70 

*'  Language 71-73 

"         Relics,   Tablets 66-70 

Hieroglyphics 43,     44 

Egyptian 75,    76,    78,   8;^,   84 

"  Egypt  and  Mexico,  Three  Kinds,    76,  S^ 

High  Civilization,   23,   24,    29,   30-38,  41-47,   103-107 

History,  Material  for 44 

Hog,  Swine, 56,   57 

Holes  in  Boat 28,    29 

Home  on  Inspiration 5,    6 

Horse    10,   55,   56,    60 

"       Extinct  Recently 56,   57,    60 

Human  Relics  Deep  in  Earth    8 

Identity,  Mexican,  Peruvian,  Egyptian 74-76 

Implements  and  Instruments,  Metallic 96-102 

Indian  Races,  One  Language 40,   84,   85 

"       not  Mound   Builders 23 

Inspiration,  McCalman  on  Smith    4 

"  Extent  of.  Home 5,    6 

Iron 98-100,    loi,    108 

Isaiah  29,  Ps.  85   Treated    1 19-136 

Israelite  Customs    63-65,    70,    71 

"        Language 71-73 

''        Parallelisms,    Bancroft 6;^ 

"        Relics 66-70 

''        Scattered,  Gathered 48,   49 

Israel  Traced  to  Western  Continent 50-5 4 

"      LTsed  Imperishable  Records 87, 

Jaredites  from  Babel 2,   21,    25 

Jewish    Customs 63-65,    70,    71 

Language 7^-73 

Jews,  Recent  Prominence 133-^35 

Jewels 15 

Judah,  Stick   of 18,    62 

Key  to  American  Civilization    25 

Kinderhook  Plates    88 

Land,  Face  of  Changed    8-10 


INDEX.  433. 

Landa  Alphabet 80 

Language   Confused 26 

''  Egyptian 76-86 

"  Israelite 71-73 

"  American,    Number    of 84-86 

Classified     86. 

Linen  Cloth 35 

Llama    57,    60 

Masonry,   Massive    105,  36 

Mastodon 8,    10,   57-60 

''       Recently  Extinct 56,   57 

Maya  Alphabet  Language 76,    78,  84 

Mcllvaine  Rev.  D.  D.  Wonder 3 

"  Ten  Years  Behind 3 

"  On  Traditions  of  Nations 19-21 

McCalman  on  Smith's  Inspiration 4 

Men,  White,  Civilized     12 

Metal  Plating    98 

Metals  Worked 39,    46,   96-102 

Mining  Works    104,    105 

Mound  Builders,  Ancient 23 

'*  "         Civilized 45 

''  "         Not  Indians 23 

Moses,  Ten  Commandments 67,   68 

Mummies,  Cliff  Dwellers 14 

Egyptian    75 

"         Peruvian    15 

Nations  Dwelt  Alone 54 

*'        Perished,  Unknown 23 

"        Distinct 29,    30,  no 

*'        Distributed 17,    22,    25 

Polished 28 

White 12 

National  Traditions 19-22 

Nephites  Came  600  B.  C 2 

'*         Landed  in  Peru 16 

"         Exterminated    2 

Number  American   Languages 86 

Obelisks,  Columns 77,    78 


434-  INDEX. 

Observatory  Mounds 104 

Observations,  4,000  Years    7 

Object,  Joseph    Smith's 116 

Oldest  Relics,    California 9 

Over  the  Wall,    Sea 5o-53 

Oxen    55.   56 

Pacific  Railroads   Eclipsed 107 

Paintings 28,   37,   40,    43,    46,    76,    77 

Palestine  Restored 1 24-133 

Paper,  names  for 44 

Peru  Colojiized  by  Four  Brothers 16 

Peruvian  Roads 106,  107 

PJionetic  Writing 4^?  43 

Plates,  Found  by  Joseph  Smith 2 

"       Brass,  Copper    Tablets ^7-93 

Plating  Metals 97,   98 

Polished   Nations 28,  41,   47 

Posts,  System  of 104 

Races  of  One  Blood 1 7?    18 

*'      Relics  Many 13-15 

"      Traditions  of 19-22 

Rainbow 27 

Records,  Plates,  Tablets,  Books    87-94,    iii 

Relics,  Cliff  Dwellers 11,    12,    14,    15 

"        Human    Bones,  Deep  in  Earth 8 

'*        Israelite 66-70 

"        Mound   Builders 45,   99-105, 

''        Oldest 9,    10 

Revolves,  Earth 6,    7,  109 

Roads,  Peruvian 106   107 

Ruins,  Towns,  Castles,  Fortresses 105 

Sciences  and  Arts 20-34,    75 

Scientific  Knowledge 103 

Scriptures  Coroborated,   Mcllvaine 20 

Sculpture  Egyptian 75,    76,    78 

Sculptured  Stone    105 

Sheep 57 

Ships,  Came  In 23,   26 

Silver    , 15,   35,   97,   98,    100 


INDEX. 


435- 


Silversmith,  Sculptor,  Artist,  Architect    36,    37 

Skill,  Engineering,  etc 31-4^,  107 

Skulls,  Cliff  Dwellers 1 1 

"       Trepanned 16 

Smith's   Object 116 

Spinning,   Weaving,    Dyeing 46 

Steel     101,    108 

Stones  Engraved,  Israelite 66-69 

Stucco  Work 36,    ^8 

Stumps,    Deep  in  Earth 99 

Surprising    Mechanical   Power    105 

Swine     56,   57 

Tablets    of  Stone 91-93 

"  "       "        Hebrew 66,    70 

Telescopic  Tubes ^;^ 

Ten  Thousand   Mounds  in  Ohio     103 

Testimony  of  Witnesses    137,    140 

Thousands  of   Monuments    .    103 

Tin  and  Silver    98 

Tools  in  Variety    96-102 

' '       4000  Years  Ago    17 

Tradition,   Value  of    24 

"  of  Nations     19-22 

Trepanning    Skulls    16 

Transmitted    News     104 

Troano    on    Geology    41 

Truman,  P.  C,  Before    Institute    109 

Veil    Lifted   Since    1830     iii 

Velvet    Like  ~  Cloth    46 

Villages    Walled    In    103 

Vision,    Joseph    Smith    116 

Votanic    Tradition,    Key 25 

Waldeck   on   Skilled    Work     37,    38 

Warning    Through    Jeremiah     53 

Weaving    14,    15,    35,    45-47 

White  Men 12, 

Wide    Spread    Civilization    40, 

Witnesses    To    B.    of   M 137-140 

AVorks,  Antiquity,  Great      39 


436.  INDEX. 

Works   Not  To  Be    Excelled    36,    31-41. 

Writing 41-44. 

"       Egyptian,   Three  Kinds 84. 

"       Hieroglyphical 78,    79. 

'*       Phonetic 4i-43- 


PART  II. 

Allen's    Book    Reviewed 247-254 

Allen    Uses    Titles   Adroitly    247 

"        Commits  Putnam,    Denies  Metals   and    Do- 
mestic   Animals    248 

"        Cites    Very    Ancient   Fossil    Remains    ....   249 

"       Denies  Metallic  Tools    248-253 

"       Cites  Bronze   Pins 253 

"       Contradicted  by  Putnam    254 

"        On  Mound  Builders    248-50 

"       Describes  Fine  Stone  Work 251-253 

Ann  Eliza's  Book  Examined 217-19 

"        "       Smith  as  Messiah,    Could   Not  Be  Ar- 
rested  218 

Lumber  Stealing  for  Coffins 218 

Says  it  was  Christlike — not  Christ-like,  218 

Introduction  of  Polygamy 219 

Assassination  of  Smith    219 

Furniture,  What  a  Whopper  .........  219 

Anthon  Garbled  by  Smucker 226,  see  156 

Beadle  Examined 196-204 

"       Book  Complete 196 

"       Many  Stories  on  Smith  Only  Report   ....196 

"       Rests  on  Sworn  Testimony 196,    197 

''Thinks  it  Was  Stolen" 196 

**        On  Rigdon's  Early  Work 197 

'*         "    Emma    Smith 197-198 

"         '•    Three  Witnesses 198,  see  137-140 

*'         "    Trial  of  Forty  Mormons 198-199 

"         "    Building  of  Nauvoo 199-200 

'*       Quotes   Gov.    Ford 200 


INDEX. 


437 


Beadle,  Missouri  Expulsion,   Cause 200-201, 

'^       Joseph   Smith's  Wives 201, 

-'        Credits  Smith  With   Honesty 201, 

•'        Monogamic-Polygamic-Periods 201-202, 

"        Reorganized  Church 202, 

"        Flies,   His  Piracy 203-204 

Bidamon,  Mrs.,  Interviewed  by  J.  W,  B 193 

Book    of    Mormon    and    Doctrine    and    Covenants 

Quoted  on   Marriage 164-167 

Braden's    Mistakes 255-264, 

Braden  Manufactures  Sixteen  out  of  Six 255-256 

Enlarges  on  Smith  and  Miller 256 

Manassehites,  Gilbert,  Bible,  Spaulding, 

256,    262 

Enlarges    on   Testimony,    Contradicts    Self 

and    Others 257-259 

Garbles  Testimony  of  Witnesses  to  B.  of  M.   .  . 

259,  262 

Falsifies,  Garbles,  Inserts,  etc 260-261 

Lies  on  O. 'Cowdery,  Marks,  Gurley . .  262 -263 
Manufactures  Apostle  Morton,  Garbles  Bible  . . 

'• 263 

Bradish,  Mrs.,  High  Priestess 157 

Briggs  and  McCord,  Mission  to  Utah t6i 

"       Called  on  Brigham  Young 162 

Brigham  Voung  Ordained  Apostle 159 

"  "      Doctrines,  Mrs.  VVaite 167-168 

Buffaloes  on  the  Grass 157-158 

Characters  Altered  by  Nephites 154 

Consecrate  of  Thy  Properties 155 

Clark's    Address 229-230 

Decatur  County,  Iowa,  History 290-291 

Difference   Stated    Officially 289-290 

Doctrines  of  Brighamism 167-168 

Dry  Rivers,  Luxuriant  Grass 158 

Eavesdropping,  Mrs.  Ward 156-157 

Encyclopedias  Examined 278-286 

"  American,  Appleton's   1863.  ..  278-280 

"  Britannica,  Stoddard, '1884.  ..  280-281 


438.  INDEX. 

Encyclopedias,  Johnson's,  1888     281 

"  Columbia,  1891 282-283 

''                       ''           Most     Satisfactory    Evi- 
dence   282 

"  Reorganized  Church 287-289 

Four  Prominent  Men   Speak 265-272 

General    O.    Connor     Escorted    Three    Hundred 

Josephites  East. 162 

Gospel  Itself,  Mrs.  Waite 163,    159 

Greatest  Change 1 64 

Greene,    Rev.  S.  D.    Speaks 265-269 

Hildreth  Guided  by  Chief  Prophet 271 

Histories  of  United  States'  Examined 273-278 

'•'         Speak  of  New  Gospel,  Bible,  Fanatics,  etc. 273 
"  "       ''  Thriftless,     Hunting,     Trapping, 

Beer 274-275 

''  Smith  Killed,  July  7,  1844 276 

"  "       "  Mormons   Expelled  From   Ohio, 

1838 276 

Howe's  Book   Examined 151-156 

' '       Wrote  f'irst 151 

"        Garbles  B.  of  M 152-156 

Immortalized    Nephites 153 

Industry,  Sobriety,  Order,    Cleanliness 283 

Invited    Back  to  Kirtland,  Independence,   Nauvoo, 

Council  Bluffs 293-298 

J.  F.  D.  at  a  Debate  in  1837 269-270 

Joseph   Smith's  and  Wesley's   Life   Similar  in   His- 
tory   286 

'^  "       Dead,  Does  Business  5,  12,  13  Years 

After 270-272, 

''  <'       Wives 272 

"  "       Urim  and  Thummim 154 

''  "       Death,  One  Version •  •  •  ^57 

Josephites,  Press  Statements 290-300 

Joseph  Smith,  Son  of  Prophet,  Loyal 161 

Kit  Carson  on  Record 270 

Lamb,  Rev.  M.  T.,  Book  Examined 236-247 

"       Claims  No  Literary  Excellence 236-237 


439 


Lamb    Adds  an  Angel  to  the  Account 238. 

Versus  Creeeds  and  Sects 238. 

Denies  Civilizations,  Then   Admits. ..  239,    243, 

Examines  All  Evidence  on  Both  Sides 239. 

Examines  B.  of  M 240. 

Versus  Prof.  Roberts 240. 

Troubled  Over  Jared's  Barges..  241,  see  28,  29. 

Gives  52  Quotations  on  3   Pages 241. 

The  Jumbo  of  All  Liars  on  B.  of  M .  . .  241-242. 

On  Modern  Words 242,  see  240. 

"    Circulation  of  Blood  and  Microscope 

242-243. 

"    Mound    Builders 243. 

"    Reformed    Egyptian 243-244. 

Denies    Iron 244. 

"        Horses,  Cattle,    Sheep,  Goats 244. 

Sized   Up  by   Le  Plongeon 245. 

Miller  on  B.  of  M.  and  MS.  Found 280. 

Monogamy,  Till    1852 164. 

Newspapers  on  Reorganization 290-300. 

Orthodox,  Monogamy,  Till  1852 164. 

Official  Statement  of  Difference 289-290. 

Piano,  Illinois,  Good  by  to  Pres.  Smith 291. 

Polygamy  no  Part  of  Original  Mormonism 

i6q,    164,   167,    204,    207,    209,    212. 

Introduced * 164. 

Denied 167. 

Beadle's  View 201-202. 

Stenhouse 204,    206. 

Ann    Eliza 219. 

John  D.  Lee 220-221. 

Smuckers 234-235. 

School  History 271. 

"  "        Bryant 276. 

'*  *'        Qaackenbos 276. 

"  '*        Thalheimer 276. 

Press  Statements 290-300. 

Rigdon's  Whereabouts   1827 284-285. 

Reorganized    Church,  Mrs.  Waite 161. 


440. 


INDEX. 


Reorganized  Church,    Press    Defends 290-300. 

''  *'         Encyclopedias    on 287-289. 

Smucker's  Book  Examined 229-236. 

Smucker  Garbles  Anthon 226,  see  156. 

"        On  Boggs,  Mormons  of  Missouri,  Illinois,    229. 

''.       Gives  Clark's  Address 229-230. 

"            "      A     preacher's     Account,      English- 
man's   Letter 231-234. 

"  Makes  Rigdon  Author  of  Polygamy,  234-235. 
"  Says  Smith  Had  Forty  Wives ...  235,  see  272. 
'.'        Cowdery's  Testimony   Unchangeable.  .  .  .236. 

Spaulding  a  Prophet  on  B.  of  M 279. 

"         Seen  When  Dead  1 1  Years 267. 

"         Mrs.,    Letter 179. 

"  Samuel,  a  Preacher 281. 

Stenhouse's  Book  Examined 204-2 1 1 . 

Stenhouse  25  Years  a  Mormon,  Quotes  Many  Works  204. 
"•          Early  Mormonism,  Bible  Doctrine,  Sin- 
cere   Faith 204. 

"         On  Bennett,  Quotes  Ford,  Hard  on  Brig- 
ham  205. 

"  "■    Believers  April  6,-  1830,  "Devoted  to 

Christ" 206. 

Smith  and  Cowdery  and  Smith's  Sons  206. 

Polygamic  Revelation 206-207. 

Rigdon,  W.  B.  Smith 207. 

Successor  to  J.  Smith 207-208. 

His  Own  Valor.  .  208-210,  Mrs.  S.  . .  216. 
"    Complete  Book  and  Mrs.  S.  Book  ... 

2 TO,    204. 

''    Elephants,    Horses,    Literary    Quib- 
bling   21 0-2 1 1 . 

Mrs.,  Book    Examined 211-217. 

'<  "        Certified,    Harriet    Beecher 

Stowe 21 T. 

''       Whole  Truth,   Lamentation,  * 'No- 
tice," "Experienced." 211. 

"       Reports  Early  Teaching  Mixed 

212,  216,  see  204. 


INDE^.  441, 

Stenhouse,  Mrs.,  Meetings  as  They  Used  to  Be. .  .  .212 

'•       On    Miracles '. 213-214 

"        '•      Polygamic  Revelation,  Gentile 

Stories,   Brigham  .  .  .  214,   215 
^'         '-      Missouri  and  Illinois  Times.  .  .  . 

215-216 

""       Contact  With    Polygamic   People, 

Pleasant,  Difficult 216 

"       Under  Oath  Again,  Thrice.  .  216-217 

Tucker's  Book   Examined 169-195 

Tucker  Wrote  From  Personal  Knowledge 169 

"       Often    Heard 170 

"       Money  Digging,  Black  Sheep,  Respectable 

Farmers,  7  Years  Scenes 170-172 

"       "It  Is  Believed,"  Evidence 173 

' '       On  Three  Witnesses,  Moral  Character .  .\  . .  i  74 

''       Makes  a  Dive  at  B.  of  M."  Plates 174-175 

"  .     Mysterious  Stranger 1 75-179 

Rigdon,    First  Mormon  Preacher 181 

*'         On  Joseph  Smith's  Marriage 182 

•'  "    Nephites  and  Earaanites  From    Babel..  . 

183,  186 

'*  "    Organization,  June  6th,  1830..  ..184-185 

"  "    First  Patriarch,  Prophet 185-186 

"         Plays  Literary  Critic 186-189 

"         On  Missouri  Troubles 189-192 

"         Work,  Origin,  Howe  Affidavits,  etc.  .  192-193 

Urim  and   Thumraim 154 

Waite,  Mrs.  C.  V.,  Book 159-168 

Warcl,      "     Book  156-158 

A^sley  Written  Up  by  Enemies 286 

Wild  West  on  J.    Smith,  1 85  7 271 

Wine  for   Communion 155 

Wilfnesses  by  Power  of  God 153 

"         Renounce  Testimony,  279-282,  see  139-140 


442.  INDEX. 


PART    III. 

All  Peace,  No  Thought  of  Difficulty  till  1833 323 

Affected  to  Believe 405 

Affidavits  and  Testimony,  Salisbury,  K 386-387 

''            "             "            Bronson,  Bronson  &  B.,   ^88 
Smith,  W.  B 388 

"  "  '•'  Rigdon,   John  W. .  .389-392 

"  "  "  Smith,  Emma 397-403 

Austin,  Bancroft  and  Ford,    Extracts  From. .  .404-410 

Atchison  and  Doniphan  Not  Murderers 407-408 

Bancroft's  Hist.  Utah,  1890,  Extracts  From. .  406-410 

*'  On  Reorganized  Church 409 

Best  and  Noblest  of  Mankind 341 

Book  of  Mormon  and  Doctrine  and  Covenants  Con- 
demn Polygamy  (Bancroft) 409 

Bryant  vs.  Mrs.  B 344-345 

Booth  vs.  Bryant 347 

Booth  on  Thorn 347 

Bryant  Cites  Booth 346 

Booth  did  not  Know  Smiths 346 

Booth  Cites  Squire,  Pierce  and  Reed 348 

Pierce's  Brother  Knew  (See  Reed) 350 

Cause  of  Trouble  in  Illinois,  Ford 406 

Chase,   Peep  Stone 362 

' '        Nails  Tucker .-37^ 

"        Implicates  Gilbert  with  Tucker(See  Gilbert)  ^'^3 

Chicago  Times  on  Joseph  Smith 3?h[ 

Cookman,  Geo.  C 309-3 13 

Council  of  Nauvoo  Hard  on  Crime 405 

Court  Decisions:   Kirtland  Temple 411-413 

Appealed  Case,  Canada..  ..413-415 

Temple  Lot 415-428 

Cowdery  Given  a  Good  Name 339,  373 

Creeds 315-316 

Danite  Band,  Joseph  Smith  Exposes 319-321, 


INDEX. 


443- 


Destroyed  Printing  Office 323 

Difficulty  Not  Thought  of  till  1833 323 

Doniphan,   A.   W 325-326 

Douglas,  Steplian  A 313 

Expulsion  Documents 327-333 

False  Stories  Known 336 

Fatally  Defective,  S.  MS.,  Pittsburg  Leader 380 

''  "  Gilbert  Thought  So 366 

Howe  Thought  So 381 

Rice  and  Fairchild 381-385 

Ford  Gives  Leading  Cause  of  Difficulty 406 

Foster's  Testimony 306-315 

Gilbert,  Typesetter 364 

"        Forty  five  or  Fifty  Years  Trying 365 

"        Could  Not  WorkRigdon  In 366 

"        Refers  to  Jackawaysfor  Facts(See  Stafford)  367 

''        Says  Harris  Was  Very  Honest 368 

Good  Citizens  at  Kirtland 336 

Harris,  Honorable  Farmer ^6S,  372 

Hancock  County  Left  Out  on  Rogues  (Ford) 405, 

Interview,  Palmyra 341-378 

"  Painesville  . .  . , 334-33^ 

Iowa  State  Register  on  Smith 301,   318 

Joseph  Smith  Exonerated 301 

"  "       At  Nauvoo,  Quincy 304-305 

"  '•       Foster  Bears    Witness 306-315 

Kelley,  E.  L. ,  Interview 334-33^ 

"        "    "    Locates  Rigdon 392-397 

Kirtland  Bank 337 

Law  and  Order  Supporters 407  -408 

Mobs,  Who  Were  They?  (Bancroft) 407 

"      A  Series  of,  in  Illinois , .  .405 

Mormon   History,  1830-1838 322-332 

"         Character,  New  York,  Ohio,  Missouri,  Illi- 
nois, 323,325-6,  336-9,341,375,408-9-10 

Militia  Joins  Mob 407 

Murdock,  S.,  Letter 338-341 

Never  Thief,  Drunkard,  or  Vicious 340 

Not  One  Accused  of  Crime  (Doniphan) 326 


444-  INDEX. 

Peaceable,  Sober,  Industrious,  Law-abiding 326 

Pitcher,  Col.  Thos 322-324 

Plates  Described 401 

Polygamy   Denied  by  Quincy,  Pitcher 305,  325 

''  ''        Emma  Smith 399 

Prophecies,  Joseph  Smith's  on  Geo.  C.  Cookman..3ii 

Stephan   A.  Douglass  ..  313 

His  Own  Name 315 

Creeds 315 

A  Bible,    A  Bible 317 

Rebellion 317 

Prophet,  Was  He?     Iowa  Register,  "Yes." 319 

Property  Disposal  Denied 324 

Reed  Cited  by  a   Number 359, 

"      Nails,  Thorn 359 

"      Refers  to  Saunders 359 

'^      Saunders  Don't  Work  in  (See  Chase) 360 

Reports  a  Vast   Number 405 

Rigdon  Located  by  E.  L.  Kelley 392-397 

"  '^  "  Several  People 386-392,  399 

Saunders  Don't  Know  Anything  Against 360 

Smith  and  Rigdon   Mobbed 407 

''      Wm.  B.,  Highly  Spoken  of 340 

Spaulding  Story  in  Brief 379-3^5 

Stafford,  Dr.  John,  Nails  Tucker   372 

"         Gives  Standing  of  Smith,  Cowdery,  Harris  .. 

• :•    -372-373 

"         Locates   Rigdon  in   Ohio   Till    1830,  (See 

Taylor,  T.  H.).. ' 374 

Taylor  T.  H.,  Emphatic    375"377 

''        "    "     Hits  Thorn  a  Rap.    377 

Thorn  -Nailed  by  Booth 347 

"  "        "  Reed 359 

Translation  B.  of  M.  Described 400,   401 

Tucker's  Work,  Authority 344 

Wesley  in  His  Day 302-4 

Works  Against  Mormonism  Unreliable 406 


NOTES. 

The  dagger  (f)  used  and  explained  in  the  preface 
applies  to  copyrighted  works. 

The  quotation  credited  to  "Star  of  the  West,"  on 
page  45,  was  in  print  on  that  page  before  the  reference 
to  it  by  the  author  in  Herald  and  Ensign  appeared. 
The  statement  of  Boudinot  on  page  93  and  Dr.  West  on 
94  should  have  been  on  page  45. 

Of  copper  plates  found  by  Mr.  Morehead,  page  91 
he  said  in  letter,  to  the  author,  of  February  nth,  1895, 
'T  found  lots  of  copper  plates  in  the  Hopewell  Mounds 
of  Ross  County,  Ohio,  but  none  of  them  were  in- 
scribed." The  eagle,  he  gave  cut  of  in  his  '^Archaeolo- 
fijist,  May,  1884,  published  at  Waterloo,  Indiana. 

The  plates  found  by  Mr.  Peet,  described  on  page 
91,  he  gave  cut  of  in  his  magazine  soon  after  he  dis- 
covered them.  R.  E. 


V 


